Unsung Heroes of Hurricane Maria
We were so honored to be featured in TV2 VI’s Hurricane Maria Unsung Heros special. They did a beautiful job capturing the raw emotion that we experienced in the aftermath of both Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, which led us to embark on a massive hurricane relief effort and long-term rebuild initiative.
It was an emotional time for all of us. Thanks to several quick thinking members of our team, including founders David Johnson and Kirk Chewning, we were able to spring into action and help people throughout the aftermath. Johnson and Chewning, as well as Kyle Lajoie, were instrumental in helping our sister islands St. Thomas and St. John in the aftermath of Irma. Despite having exhausted supplies on island, they worked their resources stateside to bring in needed aid to St. Croix.
For many involved in the effort, it was our first time coordinating such a large scale mission. It was a learning process but in the end, we were able to directly impact more than 17,000 St. Croix residents, delivering more than 75,000 pounds of aid, including 50,000 bottles of water, 4,000 medical freezer packs, 44 generators, 800 solar lights, tarps, tools, medical supplies, and many other items to meet needs. And, recently we made a $45,000 donation to the St. Croix Long-Term Recovery Group to support the reconstruction of roofs on St. Croix, and to complete volunteer housing..
It has been a humbling experience, filled with many emotional ups and downs. But at the end of the day it was all worth it, so much so that we’re committed to this effort for the foreseeable future, and helping St. Croix and the USVI in any way we can.
Cane Bay Cares is a service initiative of St. Croix-based Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP. Cane Bay Cares was established after three strong hurricanes, including two Category 5 storms, Irma and Maria, caused much damage to St. Croix during September 2017. The initiative has a goal of providing relief to the citizens of St. Croix. To make this possible, we have partnered with St. Croix Foundation, which is a 501c3 nonprofit that was established in 1990. All donations to Cane Bay Cares are donations to St. Croix Foundation and are 100% tax deductible.
Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP was formed in June 2009 and founded by internationally experienced business executives with many years of experience in the financial services industry. Focusing our efforts primarily in the financial services industry, our management consulting practice specializes in providing services to clients in need of sophisticated risk management models, debt collections organizations which require liquidation models and analytics, and portfolio management companies desiring a variety of services.
Since 1990, St. Croix Foundation for Community Development has been advancing holistic community development as a pathway to economic prosperity, self-sufficiency, and sustainability. Established in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, today the Foundation is one of the premier place-based philanthropic leaders in the Virgin Islands. Having served as the conduit of over $37 million private and public sector dollars invested into the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Foundation’s impact has netted national recognition in almost every priority area – from economic development and community revitalization to public health, education reform, and nonprofit development. Our mission is to encourage greater philanthropic activity, to marshal resources, and to act as a catalyst to benefit the people of the Virgin Islands.