Breaking

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot in Head in Croixville Housing Community; Police Detain 15-Year-Old

Concerned Residents Clean Christiansted Town Using Their Own Tools, Money, and Some Help from the VI Fire Service

Territory May See Veterans Cemetery Through DeGazon-Sponsored Bill

Credit and Debit Cards of WAPA Customers Were Compromised Since August 30th, WAPA Says, Authority to Finally Start Issuing Notification Via Mail and Email

Sports Tourism in VI Gains Momentum as DC United Team is set to Play Exhibition Soccer Game on St. Croix

Carnival Breeze Brings 3,700 Tourists to St. Croix During Maiden Call; Senators, Tourism Officials Want to See More

Limetree Bay Willing To Provide $10 Million To Help Add Life to a Dying G.E.R.S.

American Airlines to Serve St. Croix With New Flights Next Summer

The Sudden Death of Influential Roots Reggae Visionary, Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite Band and Akae Beka, Has Rocked the Virgin Islands and Reggae Community Around the World

Arthur A. Richards K-8 School Hosts Anti-Bullying Campaign

Come Out. Hang Out. Have Fun at The Meat Up, One of St. Thomas’ Latest Hot-Spot for Good Food with Friends and Family.

UVI Board of Trustees Approves $47.1 Million Fiscal Year 2020 Budget; Sets $3 Million Fundraising Goal

Man Dies During Early Morning Car Accident on St. Croix; Driver of Car Arrested (Updated)

'You Did Everything You Could to Prevent this from Happening': An Emotional Goodbye to Young Aaron Benjamin

Back in Business: Cost U Less on St. Thomas Opened its Doors Friday to Thousands of Customers 2 Years after Irma and Maria

Bill Aimed at Regulating Credit Use by Gov't Departments and Agencies Among Others Held in Committee

Juan Luis Hospital Announces Completion and Availability of Mobile Dialysis Facilities

Tractor Trailer With Tank Carrying Thousands Of Gallons of Liquified Gas Flips Near Cool Out Bar; Driver Injured But Alive

Credit and Debit Card Hack Through WAPA Appears to be Widespread in Virgin Islands; WAPA Says Support Services Will be Made Available to Affected Customers

Facing Life in Prison Without Parole, Mother and Boyfriend Plead Not Guilty in Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy

Airbnb Activates Open Homes Program In U.S. Virgin Islands And Puerto Rico For Hurricane Dorian Through September 15

Featured / Hurricane Recovery / Hurricane Season / News / Top Stories / Virgin Islands / August 30, 2019

Airbnb has activated its Open Homes Program www.airbnb.com/hurricanedorian to help displaced residents and relief workers deployed to the regions impacted by Hurricane Dorian, the company announced Friday. The Open Homes Program recruits hosts who are willing and able to provide their homes for $0 to displaced residents and disaster relief workers in the activation area including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The program is currently available through September 15, 2019. 

This hurricane season, Airbnb said it is committed to continuing to help communities across the country affected by natural disasters. The concept for the Open Homes Program dates back to 2012, when in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, hosts came up with the idea to offer their space for free to those in need. Since 2012, Open Homes has been activated over 10 times for hurricanes and storms in the United States as well as US territories, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and Tropical Storm Barry earlier this year.

“Airbnb’s Open Homes Program has been activated to assist residents displaced by and relief workers deployed to respond to Hurricane Dorian. Through the program, those in need of temporary accommodations can connect with Open Homes hosts in the area free of charge. The program extends through September 15, 2019 and is available in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Since its inception in 2012, the Open Homes program has housed 30,000 people in 61 countries. We hope those in need will take advantage of the program and that those who can open their homes will do so in the days ahead,” said Kellie Bentz, Airbnb’s Head of Global Disaster Response and Relief.

Dorian approached the U.S. Virgin Islands as a tropical storm, but strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane when it arrived. The St. Thomas-St. John District experienced the brunt of the storm’s wrath, while St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands were mostly spared.

Now Dorian is headed to Florida where it is expected to touch down as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane.

Airbnb said it has supported a number of hurricane and tropical storm relief efforts, including:

●     Hurricane Sandy (2012)

●     Hurricane Matthew (2016)

●     Hurricane Harvey (2017)

●     Hurricane Irma (2017)

●     Hurricane Maria (2017)

●     Hurricane Michael (2018)

●     Hurricane Florence (2018) 

●     Tropical Storm Gordon (2018)

●     Tropical Storm Barry (2019)

Since its inception in 2012, the Open Homes program has housed 30,000 people in 61 countries. For Hurricane Florence in 2018, over 700 hosts housed nearly 1,000 people in need, and for Tropical Storm Michael, 1,000 hosts provided temporary housing to over 700 people in need, Airbnb said.


Tags:



Staff Consortium




Previous Post

St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty After K-9 Dog Detects Crack Cocaine, Cocaine And Marijuana In His Vehicle; A .38 Caliber Handgun Was Also Found

Next Post

DLCA And BIR Working Together To Expedite Business Licenses





You might also like

Leave a Reply


More Story

St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty After K-9 Dog Detects Crack Cocaine, Cocaine And Marijuana In His Vehicle; A .38 Caliber Handgun Was Also Found

ST. CROIX -- United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced this week that Ladislau Concepcion, Jr., 45, of St. Croix,...

August 30, 2019