Siblings from the Bahamas serve up fundraiser for Hurricane Dorian relief
‘This is our simple way just to give back’
Three siblings from the Bahamas served Islanders an authentic Bahamian meal on Sunday to raise money for those in their home country affected by Hurricane Dorian.
Aaron, Anni-Yah and Alexander Ferguson are originally from the Bahamas. They moved to P.E.I. for school a couple of years ago.
They served up food at the Sherwood Church of the Nazarene in exchange for a donation.
Hurricane Dorian killed at least 65 people in the Bahamas with damage estimates in the billions.
Anni-Yah said as soon as Dorian hit the Bahamas, she knew she wanted to help her family and friends back home anyway she could.
"This is our simple way just to give back from what we know," she said. "I grew up being taught how to cook all the Bahamian dishes for my grandmother.
"What we were taught, we were taught that for a reason. I feel like it was for that reason, just to give back to our community, even from this distance."
She said food is something that comes from their hearts. "So we brought that same love and energy here."
Their father is a pastor in the Bahamas, and the siblings will be sending the donations back to him. From there, he will reach out to communities needing assistance, said Anni-Yah.
She said the money will go toward basic resources.
"It's hard for them to get drinking water, running water and we're like, OK, these are things that we might be taking for granted here," she said. "It's within our grasp to try our best to send something to help, no matter what it is."
Still in need
Dorian hit the Bahamas close to two months ago. The siblings said it's important to remember that people are still suffering.
"A lot of the houses were drenched so there's mould," said Alexander.
Electrical systems were demolished. In some cases houses disappeared.
"As long as people are still suffering and they're not living as comfortable as we are, it's still a problem for us," he said.
Aaron said he wants people to know people are still dealing with the effects of Dorian.
"Put yourself in that shoe: the mental, physical, emotional stress you're going through. That's a very short time," he said. "People are still looking for other people right now."
The siblings said they were overwhelmed by the success of the fundraiser. People offered money even if they couldn't stick around for a bite to eat.
"Actions speak louder than words and that's what happened today," said Aaron.