Eleuthera,
The Bahamas —Ten days after Irene tore through
Eleuthera there is still much to clean up in the North. Communities like
Governor's Harbour, Hatchet Bay, Gregory Town, and James Cistern still
face mountains of seaweed, sand, and other debris left by the storm. On
Sunday a small group of individuals from the Rotaract Club of Eleuthera,
Rotary Club of Eleuthera, South Eleuthera Emergency Partners (SEEP),
and the Cape Eleuthera Island School gathered in Governor's Harbour to
help with the cleanup effort.
Following
a meeting with local government officials, the volunteers set out for
James Cistern where they helped remove mounds of seaweed from the
Primary School yard and from the homes of residents. Organizations like
Rotary, SEEP, and The Island School have worked together in the past to
help the community, but never before in response to a natural disaster.
By coming together to assist others the organizations are showing their
commitment to the communities of Eleuthera.
"We
brought a dump truck, some tools, and a few good men and women to help
out with the effort," remarked Josh Shultz, who works at the Cape
Eleuthera Institute. "Hopefully we've made a difference by helping to
remove some of this debris, and more importantly we want to send a
message that we care about the community in which we live—we're not just
living in a bubble up at The Cape."