ANOTHER AVENUE HAS opened up for Barbadians and residents who want to send supplies to hurricane-ravaged Dominica.
A group of businesspeople, including Calvin Alkins Customs Services, Kestrel Liner Agency and Williams Industries, among others, have chartered schooner vessel Admiral Bay 2 to make a delivery to the Nature Isle early next week.
Dominica suffered a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Maria last Monday night and into Tuesday morning. The physical infrastructure has been decimated and some villages have been cut off.
“The place has been totally devastated and a good number of lives lost,” said Calvin Alkins. “We will do our part. A lot of people want to get things down there but they don’t know how.”
There will be two collection points.
A warehouse has been made available at #19 Gas Alley, Cane Garden, St Thomas, near Structural Systems. Alkins said this would be for smaller items in boxes which need to be “palletised” like food, clothing, toiletries, water and so on. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The second collection point will be the boat itself.
“The other big items can be delivered straight to the Shallow Draught from Tuesday, to sail Tuesday evening; mattresses, wood, building material and bulk items. We will also carry down what the Coast Guard can’t handle. It is a way bigger boat. We want to fill the boat. It can carry 125 weight tonnes of cargo,” Alkins explained.
“We are just reaching out and waiting on the other small needs.”
The Barbados Coast Guard has already dispatched two boats to Dominica with supplies and personnel. (SAT)
