About Us

GR3 is committed to serving the needs of the most needy inhabitants of Grenada, the un-served and under-served in the wake of Hurricane Ivan with direct aid in the form of much needed food, water and basic living necessities along with timely medical care and community housing stabilization with a focus on longer term solutions that will enhance living conditions, building standards and revitalize the local economy at the same time.

While new in name, breadth and focus, this organization has had its various component elements in place here in Grenada for many years. In fact, some of GR3’s dedicated volunteers have been active in community outreach through public health programs sponsored by St. George’s University (SGU) and have been working in collaboration with the Grenadian Ministries assigned to Health, Environment, Education, Agriculture and Fisheries as well as international and Grenadian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) on outreach and public health projects for over 6 years. Still other volunteers come to GR3 from local Grenadian community-based groups that have been active in their respective communities continuously assisting the most needy, un-served and under-served.

For clarity, a brief, but complete, recap as to how the GR3 organization has coalesced in a dynamic and organic way through the efforts of many talented, like-minded and committed individuals making use of available manpower and resources to meet the needs created by this national disaster.

Immediately following Hurricane Ivan on Sept. 7-8, 2004, dedicated volunteers made up, in part, from local community groups, and various faculty, staff and student volunteers from SGU immediately began expanding on efforts that had already been in place separately before Ivan to reach the most needy, un-served and under-served people in the community.

These initiatives were three-fold. One group focused on food and relief supply sourcing and distribution, another began organizing medical response teams while a third group began reaching out to the community with construction assistance to stabilize structures and to attempt to “dry-in” households. Meanwhile, off-island, relief supplies were being collected and sent in from various private sources via various means of transport for ultimate distribution to the most needy. From these component parts, and different efforts, a cooperative organizational structure emerged organically and dynamically. For example, a complete relief supply and community-based distribution network developed which in turn supported the medical response teams and the community housing stabilization teams in the field. As teams and roles and focuses became better defined and the results of such synergy were becoming clearer, the group gained a unique identity reflective of the missions undertaken with a temporal reference to the timeline for restoration efforts. Hence the name, “Grenada Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction”, GR3.

Since being formed, GR3’s efforts have been effective, manifold and wide-ranging. As an example of these results we are proud to report that in the first 3 weeks following Ivan we had:

Food/Relief:

• Served in excess of 6280 hot meals.
• Distributed in excess of 2000 food baskets.
• Partnered with and supplied local community-based groups with food, water, plastic sheeting and clothing for distribution directly to the most needy
• Deployed our team members in distribution of food, water, plastic sheeting and clothing directly to the most needy
• Deployed our team members to assist International Red Cross in distribution of food, water, clothing etc.

• Dispatched our mobile medical teams that visited over 1100 individuals on a one-on-one basis. These teams provided blood pressure checks, wound cleaning, Tetanus shots, oral re-hydration solutions (ORS), and provided treatments for ear infections, treatments for fungal infections, asthma/bronchial dilators, antibiotics, sweat rash advice, diabetic management, hypertension management and acute injury care.
• Acquired 11 wheelchairs through charitable sources in San Juan and delivered them directly to the needy throughout the country with our community-based networks.
• Partnered with the Mercy Medical Network to provide continuity of medical aid services going forward and to help develop longer term medical response protocols and teams in support of district medical centers and clinics.

• Provided emergency and reconstructive services to the Queen Elizabeth Home (orphanage) Tempe to include constructing and delivering 20 bunk beds with mattresses and new bed sheets, flashlights, batteries, food, water, essential hygienic items and bags with a stuffed animal, a toy, treat and children’s book for each child.
• Reconstructed all the roof rafters and sheeted-in with plywood and plastic the entire 100 foot roof structure at the Richmond Hill Nursing Home. We coordinated with the Trinidad military who furnished additional help for clean-up and with the lower room water proofing.
• Dispatched individual construction teams with tools and plastic sheeting to stabilize and “dry-in” the damaged homes of the most needy.