Cabo Hurricane Fund, a leading relief effort established
after Hurricane Odile, today announced detailed plans to fund the rebuilding of
homes in the most impacted communities around Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The Cabo
Hurricane Fund seeks to raise $500,000 by early 2015 in order to initiate
reconstruction grants for a minimum of 100 families. Provivah Foundation,
Conavi, and other key partners will lead the rebuilding work. The project will
work directly with community-based organizations in the region to identify
individuals and families eligible for support.
Veronica Hernandez, of Vista Hermosa, remembers Odile well. “That
night we stayed with our neighbor because our house was not safe enough to stay
in during the hurricane” she said. When
she returned with her family in the early hours of September 15th, everything
was gone.
While the initial relief efforts were focusing on getting
the tourism industry in Los Cabos restored, The Cabo Hurricane Fund is reaching
out to more vulnerable communities beyond the hotel strip. Carla Houston, Earth
Angels co-founder and Cabo San Lucas native, sees this as a key strength of the
project. “The Cabo Hurricane Fund is a trusted program run by honorable people
working as a group to restore the most impacted areas of Cabo. They are an
example of what teamwork at its best really is” she said.
The Cabo Hurricane Fund is directed by an advisory committee
made up of Mexican and U.S. leadership, and managed by the U.S.-based
nonprofit, Grassroots Global Development Foundation. Allison Dake, Executive
Director of Grassroots Global, shared about the importance of listening to the
community before making plans. “73% of the people we surveyed in our community
needs assessment experienced severe damage or a total loss of their homes.
Thats why it’s critical to raise funds for this project now so we can begin
rebuilding right away” she said.