At their monthly meeting held on September 21, 2004, the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John board of directors approved a motion to donate $500.00 to the United Way of Florida and an equal amount or Jamaican$32,500 to the United Way of Jamaica for hurricane relief and reconstruction efforts. United Way has also offered its assistance to United Way of Trinidad and Tobago which is coordinating relief efforts in Grenada through local charitable organizations.

Juanita Young, President of the United Way board of directors said, “It is only fitting that our United Way extend a helping hand to those suffering in the aftermath of hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne. She continued, “Our hearts and prayers go out to the thousands of people, including those with ties to the Virgin Islands, whose lives and livelihoods were shattered by the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes.” Young noted that many United Ways and other island nations answered our call for help after hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn.

The $1,000 donation came from United Way’s Disaster Relief Fund, established after Hurricane Hugo and funded primarily by local banks.

Cornel Williams, Co-Chairman of the 2005 Campaign, explained, “Through our affiliation with United Way International, we have recently begun to strengthen our relationship with other United Ways in the Caribbean. He added, “We encourage others to give through the United Way system as it ensures a quick, effective and accountable response, whether locally or nationally.”

To learn more about the relief operations of United Ways of Florida, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, or to make a donation by check or bank wire, go to United Way International’s home page (www.uwint.org) or United Way of America’s home page (www.unitedway.org). Inquiries and/or donations may also be made at the United Way office located at Nisky Center, Suite 220 or call 774-3185.

This special initiative is being undertaken even though the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John is on the verge of commencing its own $800,000 annual campaign to support the following 14 local, human service agencies: American Red Cross, V.I. Council of Boy Scouts of America, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands, Civil Air Patrol, Downstreet People’s Youth in Action, Dial-A-Ride St. John, Dial-A-Ride St. Thomas, Ebenezer Gardens, Girl Scout Council, Legal Services of the Virgin Islands, Lutheran Reformation Summer Program, St. Thomas Reformed Church Summer Program, the V.I. Institute for Teaching and Learning, and the Yellow Cedar Group Home.