The Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association has been pleased to report that it was a channel of support for the Hurricane Irma relief work on the island in collaboration with its counterpart, the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association.
Mrs. Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, Executive Director of the AHTA, told The Anguillian: “We have a seat on Disaster Preparedness and I have been working out of the Emergency Operations Centre. I was able to contact Carolyn, the President of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, and I told her Anguilla needs help. She asked me what I needed and I said everything.
Laurie Gumbs happened to be in St. Lucia waiting to come back to Anguilla. She sent out a call for assistance and there were also some persons – St Lucians – who sent packages for their loved ones living in Anguilla. We were able to bring Laurie’s boat filled with stuff to Anguilla. We provided a lot of bedding and milk for senior citizens; children’s supplies, drink, water, and various items of foodstuff.
“It was a full boat load of things. Like Laurie said: ‘the whole bottom of my boat has your name on it’. We were able to unload the supplies which were donated to the Anguilla Red Cross for distribution. I took some fourteen blankets to the Miriam Gumbs Senior Citizen’s Home. We did all of that through the AHTA trying to support those in need.”
Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel added that while busily engaged in the relief work, she was able to establish and maintain quality contact with all the members of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association via what was left of the internet, through “my little computer.”
She laughed as she recounted some of the difficulties she encountered but overcame.
