Calypso Cares
Calypso Cares is our approach to helping others in need. We have recently partnered with Hope Fleet and Ocean Reach to transport goods and supplies to needy communities in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Samaná, Dominican Republic, April 2023
We sailed into Samaná in the Dominican Republic with food, hygiene, and school supplies stowed aboard Calypso. Members of Hope Fleet staff met us at Puerto Bahia Marina and, together, drove to a nearby children’s home called Advocates of Love.
Advocates of Love is a great organization taking care of over 20 children in need. These children are really being loved well and it was such a joy to spend several hours with them playing games, sharing lunch, and touring the facilities.
You can learn more about Advocates of Love here.
Marsh Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas, December 2022
About 95% of food in the Bahamas in imported. After disasters like hurricane Dorian in 2019 or the global pandemic in 2020-2021, imports can be cutoff suddenly and without recourse.
Calypso Cares once again partnered with Hope Fleet and Ocean Reach to bring 50 5-gallon buckets of gardening supplies to the people of the Abacos. Each bucket contains mulch, seeds, drip irrigation and other planting supplies
Pastor Ryan Forbes (in the ball cap) and assistants Soffe and Devin (left to right) picked up the buckets to distribute to people of the community that have received training in growing their own food.
These first buckets delivered to the Bahamas will hopefully give families in these islands a better chance at reliable nutrition and independence.
Sweetings Cay, Grand Bahama, June 2021
During Hurricane Dorian in 2019, residents of Sweetings Cay evacuated their homes and ran for cover to Ebenezer Baptist church. The church building and its adjoined mission house were among the few structures to remain standing on the island. Even by mid-2021, the people of Sweetings Cay desparately needed help rebuilding their community.
In June 2021, Calypso Cares, combined with Hope Fleet and Ocean Reach, delivered generators, compressors, tools, and materials to Pastor Lorenzo McKenzie of Ebenezer Baptist Church and his family for their rebuilding efforts.
You can learn more about this project here.
Hope Town, Abacos, Bahamas, December 2019
After the eye of hurricane Dorian passed directly over Hope Town on Elbow Cay in September 2019, the people immediately started rebuilding. But there were no materials, no tools or equipment, no power, few people, and little help from the government.
Soon after, cruisers began arriving from the US and Canada to help out the people of Hope Town.
In December of 2019, Calypso Cares donated $2,000 of tools, supplies, and equipment to help out.
Today, Hope Town is well recovered and open to cruisers from all over the world!
