News

Actions

Utahns rally support for U.S. Virgin Islands hurricane relief

Posted at 6:16 PM, Sep 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-28 20:16:23-04

SANDY, Utah – An army of volunteers in Utah is urging people to donate to help the relief effort in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The non-profit group Children and the Earth have teamed up with volunteers from Hurricane Helpers to collect donations for the devastated islands.

It will be a long road to recovery for the Virgin Islands. The territory was hit with back-to-back Hurricanes in less than two weeks – Irma and Maria. Now, islanders wait for relief to rebuild.

“It's heart-wrenching,” said Haley Bermingham with Hurricane Helpers.

She has no personal connection to the Virgin Islands, but she doesn’t want to see kids suffer.

“Four years ago, my son got staph infection. I had $147,000 in debt.”

Haley got through her ordeal, thanks to Jody Frkovich, who is part of the non-profit group Children and the Earth. Now they’re teaming up to help families in the Virgin Islands.

“I called her and said, 'What do you need?' And she said, 'I need to fill a semi' and I'm like, 'What?'"

Volunteers have been collecting donations throughout the state and are dropping them off in Sandy on Thursday at 252 W. Cottage Avenue. Their goal is to fill up a semi, donated by Pride Transport, by Thursday evening so they can roll out to Florida Friday. They raised $2,500 in two days to pay for the fuel.

“We've had some awesome people donate from all over. People have come from Idaho, Wyoming dropping off stuff to us,” Frkovich said.

Each donation is greatly needed on the devastated island. People are running out of food and water and have no electricity.

“We have a lot of cleaning supplies and bug spray and everything," Bermingham said. "I think now we just want to concentrate on air mattresses, gas cans and they can never have enough food, water, diapers or baby food or formula."

For information about donations and drop off locations, click here.