Knights of Columbus Donate $250,000 in Aid to Bahamas

K of C members already helping to coordinate relief

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Sep 05, 2019, 16:15 ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Knights of Columbus announced it will donate at least $250,000 in assistance to the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

K of C members have already begun to help the islands' more than 70,000 residents who are coping with the massive destruction caused by the natural disaster.

Members of the Knights of Columbus are also preparing to help in Georgia and the Carolinas, which are expected to be affected by Dorian.

In the Bahamas, Knights are helping to coordinate relief efforts — along with the Archdiocese of Nassau, Catholic Charities, Crossroads Alliance, Aerobridge and Angel Flight — to fly and ship supplies into the various islands of the Bahamas.

"The funds we announce today compliment the work that our members are carrying out on the ground," said K of C Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "When disaster strikes, we strike back with service."

The category 5 hurricane made landfall on Sept. 1, with maximum winds of 185 mph, becoming the strongest storm in modern record for the northwestern Bahamas. Within 24 hours, the Knights raised more than $100,000 through its Disaster Relief Fund, with the funding going to purchase immediate needs such as canned foods, water, hygiene kits and baby supplies.

The Knights are also sending blankets, air mattresses, portable gas stoves, solar generators and other basic necessities

Archbishop Patrick Pinder of Nassau thanked the Knights for their "concern and support."

"We would be in a miserable state and lacking hope without this kind of assistance," Archbishop Pinder wrote in a letter to the Knights' Florida state organization. "This is an excellent example of charity and solidarity. I am profoundly grateful."

To contribute to the Knights' disaster relief efforts, go to kofc.org/disaster or call 800-694-5713.

Since January 2017, Knights have raised nearly $7 million and volunteered hundreds of hours to help victims of natural disasters in North America, including massive hurricanes in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, wild fires in California and flooding.

Actions by the Knights of Columbus include:

In the Pensacola-Tallahassee area of Florida, the Knights helped rebuild or repair churches and schools and provided a 29-foot camper trailer for one pastor to live in as his parish recovered in the wake of 2018's Hurricane Michael.
A similar effort was carried out in the Miami area in 2017 and following last September's Hurricane Florence in the coastal communities of North Carolina.
Knights provided food and helped in rescue operations in the wake of historic flooding in the Houston area in 2017 and in Nebraska earlier this year.
Cresting rivers in Ottawa prompted sandbagging and home repairs by Knights throughout that area in the spring of this year.
Knights responded to wild fires late last year in Paradise California by evacuating a school and the erection of temporary housing.
Knights joined in the clean-up efforts and set up foot programs after tornados hit Alabama and Ohio earlier this year.

About the Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is a fraternity of Catholic men striving to better ourselves and our world by building a bridge back to faith, assisting the sick and disabled, and protecting those who can't protect themselves—whether they are next door or around the world. In the Knights' 2018 business year, which ended June 30, the organization gave $185.7 million to charity and donated 76.7 million hours of hands-on service.

The Knights' nearly two million members come from many places, backgrounds and stages in their lives but share a commitment to investing their time, efforts and resources into activities that reflect their faith and values.

The Knights of Columbus is also a top-rated Fortune 1000 insurance company, which grew out of our founding in 1882 by Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney who sought to ensure the protection and care of members' families. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus