We’re all familiar with the phrase tikkun olam, acts of kindness to repair the world, but how many of us actually put the concept into action?
Hurricane Dorian may have missed Bergen County, but a number of islands in the Bahamas, including Grand Bahama and Abaco, were directly in the path of this Category 5 hurricane. The destruction and devastation from Dorian are unimaginable, even for those of us who lived through Tropical Storm (hurricane) Sandy.
Teaneck resident Ron Siesser is director of compensation and benefits for Heineken, which operates a brewery in the Bahamas and two distribution centers that supply beverages to residents and nearby islands as well. Siesser was sent to help the business restart HR operations and payroll after the hurricane destroyed both warehouses and displaced more than 30 employees from their homes. “We set up a GoFundMe to raise money for our colleagues, but this type of devastation challenges any business how far its moral obligation should go to support its families in times of distress. Unfortunately, the employees will not have jobs to return to as rebuilding may take years, if at all,” Siesser said.
Many of those employees, along with other residents of the islands, remain homeless after the storm devastated most of the infrastructure on Grand Bahama and Abaco. Accessing those islands is proving difficult, between downed power lines and destruction of the ports, and clearing the debris is among the greatest hurdles. Nassau Island, which is more popular among U.S. tourists, experienced less serious damage and is also the site of Heineken’s central operations.
“Once I was going down to help the business, I began to wonder what more I can do,” Siesser shared. His 10-year-old son, Eli, came up with the idea to set up a lemonade stand to raise money and used the $36 he collected to buy toys at Amazing Savings. “I wanted to buy toys for the kids who would be really sad. I wanted to do something for them,” he said. This is not his first time trying to help people after a hurricane. He raised money after Hurricane Harvey that was donated to the United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston and wrote a song after Hurricane Irma in Florida.
As it turns out, Eli had the right idea. When Siesser spoke to his HR contact in the Bahamas, she told him that the emergency shelters were overwhelmed with the number of children they had to absorb. Food and diapers were being shipped in from Florida, but children lost their toys, games and dolls. Siesser and his wife, Debra, spread the word through WhatsApp groups, and donations came in from families at the Young Israel of Teaneck and their daughter Atara’s travel softball team.
Between Eli’s toys and the community donations, Siessser filled two 50-pound duffel bags with toys, crayons, activity books, stories and games. “I didn’t expect to collect so much in such a short time, but I didn’t want to leave anything behind. When I explained to the airline check-in staff, they smiled and waived the baggage fees.”
On Siesser’s last day in the Bahamas, his colleague brought him to a children’s emergency hostel on Nassau where children are now living. Most of the children were evacuated from the devastated islands and brought to the hostel since their parents cannot care for them as they figure out their next steps. Some were truly orphaned by the storm. Under normal circumstances, the shelters might support 10-15 children; now they’re being asked to house up to 75. Annette Hepburn, who runs the center, told Siesser that they’re completely overwhelmed. There are so many displaced kids, ranging in age from infants to teenagers, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. The school systems are not set up to absorb the large number of affected kids.
Siesser said that when he entered the shelter with the duffle bags, a young boy jumped into his arms. He then sat down and read a story to him, giving the boy some one-on-one attention. Siesser is already thinking about what else he can do the next time he goes down.
There are many organizations collecting money to help those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Visit nechama.org or www.redcross.org.
By Sara Kosowsky Gross
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