Bachelorette party becomes relief mission

A bride-to-be from Georgia almost canceled her and her friends’ trip to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian struck the islands but decided to bring relief supplies instead. Rikki Kahley from Macon, Ga., and her bridesmaids gathered donations to purchase baby formula, toiletries, shirts, food, and other essentials. They gave 40 bags of supplies to a Bahamian church to distribute to victims of the Category 5 storm. “We give God all the glory,” Kahley told WAGA-TV in Atlanta. “It wouldn't have been possible without Him providing us with a way to help provide for the Bahamians.”

How are relief efforts going? As of last week, authorities have reported more than 1,300 people missing since the hurricane, though the government expected that number to drop since many are staying in shelters or with family and friends. Rob Jenkins with the U.S. Agency for International Development said the organization is transitioning to longer-term support for the island nation, where nearly 2,000 people remain in shelters in the city of Nassau.

Dig deeper: Read Laura G. Singleton’s report for WORLD Magazine on the recovery efforts in the Bahamas, along with information about the relief agencies at work on the islands.