Days after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas a Montreal family has been collecting donations to help the victims.
“We want to help everyone that we possibly can,” said Jason Forbes. “Anybody who’s in need. Every life matters.”
The storm hit the Bahamas on Sunday with winds of up to 300 kilometres per hour, killing at least 43 people. Bahamian authorities said the items needed most are building and cleaning supplies as well as first-aid kits, mattresses and sheets.
Those are the types of things Forbes and his family have been collecting, making their way around Montreal and asking shops to host collection bins.
“Life is more important than anything else, so whatever we need to do to save somebody’s life or help out is more than worth it,” he said.
The collected items will be sent to Florida and from there to the Headknowles Foundation, a hurricane relief group offering aid to the Bahamas.
Forbes said the wreckage in the Bahamas has hit close to home. His father George was born in Grand Bahama and he still has relatives on the island who have lost everything.
“They’ve lost homes, they’ve lost basically all the necessities like clothing,” said George. “If they had a car, that’s gone. They’re completely desolate.”
George Forbes said he takes solace that his loved ones survived, saying he had feared the worst when he lost contact with his sister.
“In my heart there were fears of the worst,” he said. “The possibility that I may not see or hear from a relative or family member again. It’s an emotion that you can’t even describe.”
