Last year’s Storm Strong initiative is starting to pay off as the community begins the long, slow march through hurricane season 2020.
Out of four suggested projects arising from the eight-week incubator program, which provided opportunities and money to develop programs that would meet the specific needs of community members, three have come or are coming to fruition, according to Storm Strong developer Kristgin Grimes, a University of the Virgin Islands professor.
The first is a mold safety card developed by two sisters who participated in the program. Kaylin and Anissa Wallen, 11th and 10th graders at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, were concerned about the effects of the mold that took over their home and their neighbor’s homes.
“The mold was destroying property while causing people to get physically sick,” Kaylin said in support of her project.
To tackle this issue, she and Anissa created a “Mold Safety Card,” to highlight the dangers of mold and how to safely clean it up.
On the back of the card, the sisters added information on how to make sure water is safe to drink. They later partnered with the Virgin Islands Water Quality Education Program to distribute the cards in St. Thomas schools.
Almost 1,300 cards have been shared at public events, in local business offices and at St. Thomas schools. COVID-19 interrupted distribution, but more cards are available to be distributed as that becomes possible. The public can download the card here.
The second project was brought to the table by Amber LaPlace, a 10th grade student at All Saints Cathedral School.
Because LaPlace knew that some of her neighbors had had trouble getting the supplies they needed when a storm was approaching, LaPlace’s proposal was to create hurricane kits and a guidebook that would be handed out for free to members of the community.
The kits were created. They included a five-gallon bucket and lid for watertight storage, cleaning supplies, waterproof matches, a laminated preparedness checklist and a NOAA preparation guide booklet.
Because the project was going to cost more than the budget allowed LaPlace, with help from her mother, sought additional funding.
Thanks to a $3,600 donation from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands they were able to meet their goal of about 250 kits and provide additional items, which they distributed along with the kits at a couple of community events last year.
The third project is still in the incubator, but ready to be brought home with the help of the community.
The idea for a cookbook to be called “One Territory – One Pot: Easy Recipes for Hard Times,” resulted from a conversation between 2019 program graduates Denise Webster, Annette Mauvais and Marguerite “Sister” Price. The trio joined forces because they shared concerns about food security in the face of hurricanes. They bonded over how, even in a crisis, they try to find ways to make creative meals to keep their spirits up and families well-fed. From that conversation, the cookbook idea was born.
This community-sourced, hurricane-inspired cookbook will feature recipes that use the non-perishable ingredients we stock up on and can be prepared using limited resources, such as camp stoves and coal pots.
The Storm Strong team is soliciting recipes from the community. Submission details and instructions can be found at the project website or by texting or calling 340-244-7188.
The fourth project was to establish community gardens, and it is not off the table. But it’s a longer-term proposition, Grimes said.
Another aim of the 2019 initiative was to provide an outlet for the younger set to make art about their family’s preparedness. Art can still be submitted online.
The first, and so far only, art was submitted by 8-year-old Shane Berry, who said, “Before a storm, my family prepares our house, boat and vehicles. In my picture, you will see my boat turned upside down with straps that are bolted into the ground. We secure our house with shutters and sandbags. We also pick fruits from our trees and share them with our neighbors.”
The five-year Storm Strong program is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
