Relief effort for Kevin & Audrey

Hello.  My name is Cyle Nunemaker, and I am from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the US.  I used to be neighbors with Kevin and Audrey James when they lived on Paradise Island.  Since then, they have become our best friends, and so much more.  Now they are living on Long Island in the bahamas, and are in a tight spot because of this hurricane.  

As you probably know, a strong category 4 hurricane suddently strenghtned over night from a tropical storm, and stalled over the southern and central bahamas on October 1, 2015.  Kevin and Audrey live about 20 miles from the eye wall of where hurricane Joaquin was for 24-36 hours.  The storm ruined many homes, and has devasted the infrastructure of a very small island community.  The mass flooding has made it very difficult for them to assess the damage and begin cleaning up.  

Kevin called me from their cellphone right before the storm hit, told me they had lost power and internet.  He asked me to check the weather online because they didn't know that the storm had strengthened (but they could tell it was getting nasty outside) or where it was located, etc.  I told him that it was now a category 4, and that it was almost right over them.  That was the first they knew that this storm had gotten much closer, and was about to change their lives.  That was Thursday AM (October 1).  We were worried for 3 full days.  I didn't hear from him until Sunday October 4 in the evening when I got a broken up voice message from a satellite  phone telling me that he and Audrey (and the dogs) were safe.

Apart from the initial satellite phone message, I have only gotten a few texts from Keven when he was at the telecomunniation site where they had brief internet.   He said they are semi-protected among the chaos that is around them, but they are using a personal generator for electricity to keep their food fresh.  They haven't had power for a week now, and are expected to be without it for weeks to even MONTHS (he told me months) more.  They live in the southern part of long island, near the dunmore settlement.  Their house is one of the LAST southern houses that gets telephone service.  The southern end of this island was hit the hardest.  As of 2 days ago, the airport that they use (deadman's cay) was completely underwater, and the only other airport on the island (stella maris) is about an hour and 20 minutes away up a one lane road, that is now washed out or flooded in many places.  
 Kevin told me that they don't NEED anything, but they would never ask.  I believe we, his friends and family should just give what we can because they will be giving everything they have to those around them.  Kevin told me he will be traveling to the capital (nassau) by boat in a few days and will be collecting shingles, nails, tarps, etc and will come back to begin replacing or fixing the damage on a few roofs.  According to what I understood, he has Agnes and Maria, 2 of his  amazing neighbors living with them right now so that they can all be together and share resources.  My guess is that he will need to repair Agnes and Maria's roofs as well, but I am just speculating here.

Here is a photo of all of us at Maria's house for dinner during our last visit.


ALL donations will go to Kevin and Audrey, and they can determine how to use them.  I know he will be annoyed that I've set this up because he won't like the attention.  Kevin and Audrey are some of the most generous people I know.  They've impacted my wife, son and I tremendously.  Kevin would be on the first plane to come help me if i were in a jam like this, so this is the first thing that I thought I could do to help them right now.

Please don't think that your donation is too small.  $1, $5, $10, it all adds up.  Food and supplies are being collected on some of the other islands that weren't hit, but from what I understand, distribution of those goods is an issue once it reaches the affected islands.  This will be a way for those of us who aren't in their country to be able to bless them and know that it will all get to Kevin and Audrey.

Any money collected will be deposited in their account by me.