South Florida Communities Band Together With Relief-Focused Events To Help Bahamas After Hurricane Dorian

MIRAMAR (CBSMiami) – Communities all around South Florida spent Saturday continuing the much-needed relief efforts to get the Bahamas back on its feet following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

Miramar's city hall hosted a multicultural festival to benefit victims of the deadly storm.

For Terry Archer, the deputy chief of the Bahamian consul in Miami, it's a personal mission to make sure Marsh Harbour and surrounding islands devastated by the hurricane get the help they need.

He said his son was there when the Category 5 storm made landfall.

"I just basically get him out a few days ago with friends and other families," he said.

At the same time, just south of Miramar, Hialeah firefighters packed bags of non-perishable food and water to send over to the Bahamas.

"[The response] has been overwhelming. This is the third or fourth time that the station has been filled and we're emptying again," said Hialeah Fire Rescue Chief David Rodriguez.

The nonprofit group United Way Miami also did their part. They added a drop off spot at their annual 5K race on Saturday.

They teamed up with UPS to collect cases of water, Gatorade and baby products, stacking them up to ship them off to Abaco and Grand Bahama – both islands devastated by Hurricane Dorian.

In addition, the USAID Administrator Mark Green toured a warehouse Saturday morning in Northwest Miami-Dade to check on items about to be shipped to the island.

"In terms of immediate need, it is water, sanitation and hygiene as important as anything else," Green said.

"The United States is proud to stand with our neighbors and we will continue to stand with our neighbors and friends in the Bahamas as we respond to and help them build from this terrible storm," he continued.

USAID announced that an additional $1 million in humanitarian assistance will go towards helping the island.