Media WriterAs we witness the violent eruptions of La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), the Caribbean Diaspora Disaster Relief and Recovery Coalition has once again mobilized for Caribbean Days of Giving (CDOG). This humanitarian initiative will support the centralized relief efforts coordinated by the Consulate General of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the USA, SVG Relief Inc. and SVG Disaster Relief Initiative Platform (DRIP). The SVG community in the New York tri-state area will hold a massive Relief Drive on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 from 10am to 10pm at Friends of Crown Heights, 671 Prospect Place in Brooklyn.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, the CDOG organizing coalition will utilize their multimedia networks to rally the Caribbean Diaspora and friends of the Caribbean to support relief efforts for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A growing list of participating media partners including Irie Jam Radio 93.5FM/IrieJam 360; WPAT 930 AM, Caribbean One Media Group; WSNR Radio 620 AM; Groovin Radio, WVIP 93.5 FM and Supa Jamz Radio 103.7FM & 99.5HD2 have committed to help galvanize support to the ongoing efforts as they provide updates on the relief and recovery efforts and interview notable personalities and community leaders..
This outreach builds on the success of the 2017 and 2019 CDOG initiatives that received the endorsement and support of the New York CARICOM Consular Corps and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are facing two terrible disasters at the same time – a volcanic eruption and a global pandemic that has disrupted our lives for over a year,” CGOG organizer, Dr. Omyma David said.
“The combined impact of both will be very severe and far reaching. So, our humanitarian efforts cannot be a one-off event. CDOG will extend beyond this weekend. We appeal to the Caribbean diaspora and friends of the Caribbean to step up and show up in a strong way. Let’s rally behind St. Vincent and the Grenadines during this time of great distress. We don’t know which country will be next” she noted
To Participate:
Donate via Zelle to SVG Relief USA, Inc. at [email protected]
Donate via PayPal to https://paypal.me/cosago?
Write cheques to SVG Relief USA Inc.; mail to SVG Relief USA, Inc. 1654 Troy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234
Donate essential supplies to the Relief Drive.
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About Caribbean Day of Giving
Caribbean Days of Giving (CDOG) is organized by a Caribbean Diaspora Disaster Relief Coalition in response to natural disasters and the increasing vulnerability of our small island states. This growing alliance of community leaders, stakeholders and media across the Caribbean diaspora was organized to help build capacity and strengthen response to natural disasters in the Caribbean region by promoting a collective response to disaster relief among the Caribbean diaspora. Previous partners have included the CARICOM embassies, Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Relief Fund, The American Foundation of the University of the West Indies (AFUWI), The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), Bahamian American Association Inc. (BAAI), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and Sandals Foundation.
Ashleigh-Ann Mowatt