JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Northeast Florida is continuing to help Bahamians in need after Hurricane Dorian.
Jacksonville University students and others held a relief drive Saturday for those devastated by Dorian. They are collecting water, diapers, canned goods and other necessities to send over to the hardest-hit areas.
"My family was directly hit," JU student Shalonda Neeli said. "My house and everything was destroyed. My family in Marsh Harbour lost everything. It was definitely personal on that level."
Neeli is from Freeport, which is one of the hardest-hit areas from Dorian.
"For the most part, they’re OK. They still have no jobs, being that everyone is trying to rebuild. It’s just they are struggling, but still smiling," Neeli said.
Neeli, along with the Red Cross, the Caribbean Student Association and the International Student Organization, are all working together to help any way they can.
"There’s still a lot that needs to be done there, and we want to let them know that we haven’t forgotten and we’re still sending them support," Kai Barber, a Caribbean organization member, said.
JU relief efforts began immediately after Hurricane Dorian hit. Neeli said JU's Marine Science Department is working with Osearch to send the collected items over on a boat to different churches in the Bahamas.
The organizations are also collecting monetary donations. If you would like to help, visit their GoFundMe page.