The Waitt Institute and Waitt Foundation, in partnership with the International Community Foundation, have established the Barbuda Recovery and Conservation Trust Fund to support response and restoration in Barbuda. The Waitt Foundation has seeded The Fund with a $100,000 grant. As soon as weather and safety concerns allow, Waitt staff are heading to Antigua and Barbuda to assess the situation on the ground, and work with the Government coordinating aid response, specifically to the people of Barbuda. As you know, the nature of these kinds of recovery efforts are long and expensive. The goal of the Trust is to provide immediate humanitarian relief, and will evolve over time. The Government has made it clear that financial assistance is the most vital kind of help at this time.

In light of the tragedy and loss suffered www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/07/the-tiny-islands-ravaged-by-hurricane-irma-are-in-trouble-and-begging-for-help/?tid=pm_world_pop&utm_term=.c49c959a042b>  at the hands of Hurricane Irma, we ask you to donate to this fund, share the link widely, and encourage your colleagues and friends to donate: www.waittinstitute.org/barbuda-hurricane-relief  . As well, if you know special disaster/ Caribbean regional relief funds or fund managers, please put them in direct touch with me or Dr. Kathryn Mengerink. More information attached/ below.

100% of monies donated will go to Barbuda and its people.

If you have any questions, please contact us at jj@waittfoundation.org or mengerink@waittinstitute.org .