Summary

The Island Spirit Fund is dedicated to awakening the Island Spirit across the U.S., USVI, and where our partners live and work to ensure no one weathers a storm alone. It pursues this vision through relief efforts, helping rebuild and renew communities impacted by hurricanes. Grants are focused on awakening the Island Spirit on St. Croix in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and in other areas where our partners live and work, building resilience for future storms.

Challenge

Hurricane Maria was one of the worst Atlantic hurricanes on record. On the island of St. Croix, the storm caused severe damage to homes, communication networks, and the power grid. Despite these challenges, the resiliency of Crucians never wavered. Neighbors helped each other and renewed their island, inspiring the Island Spirit Fund to amplify and sustain those efforts. Beginning in 2018, we also began to spread the Island Spirit to areas in the U.S. impacted by hurricanes

Solution

A hybrid model of direct aid and community investment is needed to support disaster recovery. Contributions to the Island Spirit Fund are granted to local organizations who are listening to what Crucians and U.S. residents truly need and who can provide the nourishment, supplies, equipment, and other resources required for short-term recovery and long-term stability. The Island Spirit Fund will apply these same principles when granting funds to other U.S. communities.

Long-Term Impact

By granting funds in direct response to local communities' physical and emotional needs, the Island Spirit Fund aims to alleviate the isolation and hyper-individualization that leaves people frustrated, vulnerable, and helpless in the face of storms. Bringing people together is the first step to ensuring that no one weathers a storm alone. Further, the Island Spirit Fund addresses the need for the paradigm of disaster relief to change, fostering resiliency and empathy to face what's to come.