Mission Statement
PLAN!T NOW advocates empowerment of people through information and connection, and creates dialogue between people and organizations preparing for and dealing with natural and man-made disasters. Operating with the understanding that no matter where you live, a natural disaster can happen at any time, PLAN!T NOW advocates the power of preparedness.
PLAN!T NOW advocates empowerment of people through information and connection, and creates dialogue between people and organizations preparing for and dealing with natural and man-made disasters. Operating with the understanding that no matter where you live, a natural disaster can happen at any time, PLAN!T NOW advocates the power of preparedness.
Communities We Support
PLAN!T NOW is an operating, non-profit organization that assists coastal and island areas that lie between Belize, Barbados, Trinidad and North Carolina. We funnel information to the people and industries that are most prevalent in the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean. Those industries include farming, fisheries, oil, hospitality and tourism.
In the United States, our work focuses on the areas along the eastern coastline of North Carolina; northwest along western Florida; west along southern Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana; southwest and south along southeastern Texas; and extends about 100 miles inland. In the Caribbean, our work targets but is not limited to: Aruba, Northern Antilles, St. Lucia, Barbados, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Jamaica. In Central America, our work is aimed at those living on the Gulf Coast in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
The Formation of PLAN!T NOW
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan slammed into the tiny island of Grenada. The Category 5 storm sheared the rainforest trees to stubs, ripped the roofs from 90 percent of the homes, killed dozens of people and left many more devastated. As word spread of the destruction, a small group of highly passionate people, led by actor Morgan Freeman, were moved to intercede on behalf of the island and its communities.
Freeman remembers receiving a telephone call from friends in that country. They told him people on the other side of the island were desperate to get food, water and medical aid. People were sick, dehydrated and in danger of dying, and relief efforts were very slow. “I had to try and help,” Freeman said. Thus, the Grenada Relief Fund (GRF) was born.
To get the word out about Grenada’s dilemma, the members of the GRF focused on publicizing the islanders’ stories of survival and perseverance to communities worldwide. With the help of international partnerships between the Grenadian government and ministries, non-profits and corporations, Grenada became a gold-star example of how to recover from severe storm and hurricane disasters.
“Disaster happens when preparation doesn’t,” Freeman said.
In December 2007, the Grenada Relief Fund was renamed PLAN!T NOW. The following year, P!N’s esteemed Advisory Board, Board of Directors and Committees were assembled. Today, through education, research and indirect relief in the form of scholarships, grants and micro-loans, PLAN!T NOW encourages people and communities to access the tools they need to reduce the loss of life and destruction caused by these storms.
A major initiative of PLAN!T NOW is the Undergraduate Hurricane Relief Scholarship program, a grant awarded yearly to students adversely impacted by hurricanes who demonstrate the fortitude to continue achieving their educational goals and dreams.
PLAN!T NOW is a 501(c)3 IRS designated, tax-exempt public charity.
