Help to Turks and Caicos, Salt Cay
For days while Hurricane Ike ravaged the Turks and Caicos, and for days after, no one was able to contact the 66 people who weathered the storm on Salt Cay. The majority of Salt Cay was evacuated, but these 66 people decided to stay and after days of uncertainty and concern for the people, property and animals of Salt Cay - communication was established, others have returned and the island is on the mend.
At first, there was no air service, the airstrip was unusable; and there was no ferry capabilities, the larger boats (the Buccaneer and Salt Cay Divers' Big Boat) were sent to Grand Turks' North Creek to hide from Ike. However, reports say those boats disappeared without a trace during the storm.
Just like on Grand Turk, there was massive damage on Salt Cay, but the residents of Salt Cay not only survived Ike's 135 mph winds and storm surges, they came through with tenacity and determination. A shelter was set up at the school. Jim and Sharon Shafer of Windmills and Porter Williams of Island Thymes donated food from their freezers.
The Green Flash Café, one of our favorite places was wiped out, fortunately the memories were not. 
Teams of workers arrived to restore electricity and re-roof more than 30 Belonger homes in need roof replacement. Tents are set up in the yards so homeowners would have a place to live while their roof was repaired. Once the roofs are repaired, the focus will go to the churches and common buildings in need of repair. There is still much work to do: ceilings collapsed, walls crumbled and there is much interior damage. There are a few organizations collecting donations to help residents in need of financial support.
Immediately after the storm, rescue workers were collecting bottled water, work gloves, non-perishable food items, roofing materials, tarps, treated lumber, diesel generators for refrigerator and these things are still necessary. However, currently the biggest problem is the electric company won't reconnect homes with power until they have been inspected, which is very expensive and there are many elderly in need of help.
Friends of Salt Cay began raising money specifically for Salt Cay's rebuilding efforts. Relief efforts were targeted specifically for Salt Cay; to help the local residents, including the elderly whose homes were affected. These efforts have been taken over by Salt Cay Hurricane Relief Trust. To make a donation: visit www.saltcay.org
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But kudos to the people who did their best to save him.