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Port Canaveral provides warehousing for Bahamas relief supplies

port canaveral bahamas relief
Port Canaveral is donating nearly 60,000 square feet of warehouse and office space to Crossroads for its relief supplies collection and staging. Crossroads' Steve Ewing is at lower left PHOTOS: Canaveral Port Authority
The Canaveral Port Authority joined forces with Ocala, Florida-based Crossroads Alliance & Ministries to aid in humanitarian relief efforts in the Bahamas.

60,000 square feet of donated space

Crossroads Alliance is expanding its response capabilities with nearly 60,000 square feet of warehouse and office space donated by the port authority to the nonprofit organization.

‘The people of the Bahamas are continuing to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian,’ Port Director and CEO Capt. John Murray said. ‘Providing port resources to a well-regarded humanitarian agency such as Crossroads was an opportunity for us to participate in a meaningful and useful way in this important effort of support for an arduous recovery and rebuilding process in the islands.’

‘Crossroads Alliance & Ministries had exceeded capacity for donations at our Ocala warehouse,’ President and Founder Steve Ewing said. In response, the Canaveral Port Authority agreed to provide, at no charge, more than 56,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Port Canaveral Logistics Center on US 1 in Titusville, and nearly 1,800 square feet of office and storage space at the port’s Maritime Center building in Cape Canaveral for collecting and staging relief supplies bound for the Bahamas.

'Changing a lot of lives'

‘This is the perfect place, perfect facility and together, we’re changing a lot of lives,’ Ewing said.

Diane Luensmann, VP government and strategic communications for Canaveral Port Authority, said the port was directed to Crossroads Alliance after discussions with organizations working with the US Agency for International Development and the US Coast Guard.

Crossroads had been flying supplies to hurricane-ravaged areas earlier this month but has since transitioned to waterborne delivery of heavy equipment and supplies. The nonprofit has its own staff, supplemented by volunteers, and its own fleet of trucks, forklifts and other equipment needed to move and deliver supplies.

Support from NCL and Carnival

Crossroads hopes cruise lines and barge operators will ferry its donations to stricken regions. Norwegian Cruise Line will take approved donations from Port Canaveral and Central Florida on a space-available basis. Carnival Cruise Line is working with Riviera Beach-based Tropical Shipping to carry donated supplies from the Port of Palm Beach to the Bahamas, and Crossroads has the capability to deliver supplies to Palm Beach.