Dear Baldwin Community,
As you are surely aware of, Hurricane Dorian ravaged through the Bahamas this past weekend, with sustained winds of a Category 5 Hurricane, and flooding downpours throughout the islands. The pictures are extremely devastating, as the massive natural phenomenon stayed stationary over the Bahamas for nearly 24 hours. Towns were destroyed, communities torn apart, transportation hubs completely flooded, homes were completely lost, and many more unfortunate damages took place.
Seeing as we, Puerto Rico, suffered a similar fate less than 24 months ago, the Student Council (both Middle/Upper School and Elementary), in a joint effort with the National Honor Society (NHS), the Medlife Club, the Red Cross Club, and Coco Foundation Club, has started a student-led initiative titled "Students Offering Solutions (SOS)".
The idea is to begin by collecting funds through different types of fundraisers, such as:
- next week's Casual Day (scheduled for the OECC, the Elementary, and Middle/Upper School) on September 12th,
- the Alive hosted breakfast at our cafeteria on September 11th from 7:30am to 8:15am (all proceedings go to the cause)
- multiple Bake Sales ( in the OECC, Elementary, and Middle/Upper School),
- the selling of "Bahama Paper Maps" by the NHS (a mural will be made in the VPAC with all of the sold copies),
- the selling of Red Cross Bracelets,
- Student Council donations from the Snack Shack Earnings,
- and more.
All funds raised will be donated to the "Bahamas Red Cross", who are currently providing immediate and effective relief by locating lost individuals, issuing much needed medical aid, and much more, in order to stabilize the situation as fast as possible.
In the coming weeks, when the situation is more stable, transportation hubs are in operating status, and non-profits establish what they need to be donated, we would be open to starting a donation drive to provide the Bahamas with essential supplies. If students or faculty have any suggestions or would like to join the initiative, feel free to contact us at studentsofferingsolutions@baldwin-school.org .
This is an evolving initiative, so please pay attention to more details coming up in the following weeks. The SOS project is about using our resources available within the Baldwin and Puerto Rican Communities to aid a population in dire need of humanitarian relief, helping our Caribbean neighbors bounce back stronger than ever from this devastating situation. Thank you for your cooperation!