During the initial impact of Hurricane Irma, local jewelry retail chain Diamonds International took immediate action on the ground to aid in the crisis situation.
More than 60 percent of the company’s employees across the Caribbean were directly impacted by the storms, many left homeless and in desperate need.
Diamonds International funded crisis relief activities in the form of chartering private planes and boats to deliver critical supplies including food, water and blankets, coordinating special landing permits; providing medical aid and treatment, transporting and evacuating employees, supplying housing and financial support.
Key Diamonds International employees in St. Maarten converted a destroyed apartment into the Command Center, which operated as the logistics and communication hub for emergency relief efforts across all affected islands and housed multiple employees that were left homeless.
As emergency relief efforts were under way on the ground, Diamonds International’s corporate offices in New York and Miami raised funds to help those most affected recover and rebuild their lives. Generous donations came in from all over the world, including Diamonds International’s customers, owners, employees, retail brands, vendors and suppliers, and cruise industry partners via a Youcaring.com crowd-funding campaign.
“Hurricane Irma faced us with our biggest challenge to date. The damage to our employees, stores and operations was catastrophic. We are proud to say that we banded together as a company to do everything in our power to help the locals, our Diamonds International family in the Caribbean and Florida. Our teams on the ground were the real heroes. They were rescuing people and coordinating logistics all while being impacted by the storms themselves. Their dedication and resilience is incredible,” says the Gad Family, owners and operators of Diamonds International and manufacturing arm Almod Diamonds.
