HURRICANE RELIEF

Before DREAM ONE WORLD became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2005, Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne both slammed into the island of Grand Bahama in the Bahamas in 2004, devastating the island.

Founder/Director Kathy Ozzard Chism had lived in Freeport, Bahamas, for four years, and although now living in California, felt she had to do something, anything, to help.

(She had lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew...and once you have been through something like that, it changes you.)

She wrote a letter asking for donations, and sent it out to 160 friends and family, with a self-addressed stamped envelope inside.

140 came back, and in only six weeks, she had $10,000.

During this time, with the help of Sharon Burton at Bank of America, she set up the "Bahamian Children's Trust Fund," and started wiring donated funds to her dear friend Virge Cafferata on the island.

Please click on the "History" page under "US" to read more of this story and see wonderful photos of what Virge did...

That experience lit a flame that burned brighter and brighter in Kathy, so she started the long application process to go global and become a nonprofit, changing the name to DREAM ONE WORLD. 

The process should have taken eight months, but then Hurricane Katrina hit.

As a main focus of this new nonprofit was to be disaster relief for hurricanes, her application was rushed through, and she was off and running.

Since then, DREAM ONE WORLD helped Melissa Cloud, a woman who flew out of New Orleans the day before Hurricane Katrina hit with only one suitcase and her cell phone, thinking she would be back...

We sent Melissa funds for three months for food, medicines, etc., until she could find a job in Miami, FL, as she lost everything in the storm.

We worked with The Sramek Family in Pass Christian, Mississippi, who also lost everything.  Thanks to our generous donors, they were able to put a down payment on a new home in a short period of time and keep their family together.

They paid it forward to their entire town, and we helped Pass Christian for years with the food bank there.  Through the sale of a wonderful quilt made by women in Bay St. Louis, we were able to help rebuild the library in that town...

Please click on "The Sramek Family" and the "Pass Christian, MS" pages at left to read stories and see photos of good coming out of the devastation...

Thank you.

"If there is radiance in the spirit, it will abound in the family.  If there is radiance in the family, it will abound in the community.  If there is radiance in the community, it will grow in the nation.  If there is radiance in the nation, the universe will flourish."    - Tao Te Ching (adapted)