The Canaveral Port Authority has joined forces with Florida’s Crossroads Alliance & Ministries to aid in humanitarian relief efforts for the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, according to a statement.

Crossroads Alliance is expanding its relief response capabilities with nearly 60,000 square feet of warehouse and office space donated by the Port Authority to the non-profit organization.

“The people of The Bahamas are continuing to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian,” Port Director and CEO Capt. John Murray stated. “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,” Crossroads President and Founder Steve Ewing said.

In response, the Canaveral Port Authority entered into an agreement with Crossroads to provide at no charge to the organization more than 56,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Port Canaveral Logistics Center on U.S. 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, according to a statement. 

Ewing stated: “This is the perfect place, perfect facility and together, we’re changing a lot of lives.”

Diane Luensmann, Vice President, Government and Strategic Communications with the Canaveral Port Authority, said the Port was directed to Crossroads Alliance after discussions with organizations working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Crossroads has an impeccable reputation,” Luensmann told the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners during a briefing at its Sept. 25 meeting. “It’s a highly regarded nonprofit that is expert in creating the response and managing logistics for humanitarian relief operations.”

Crossroads had been flying supplies to hurricane-ravaged areas earlier this month but has since transitioned to water-borne delivery of heavy equipment and supplies, Ewing said.

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.

Crossroads hopes that cruise lines and barge operators will ferry its donations to the Bahamas.

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.