The USVI Storm Strong program is calling on the U.S. Virgin Islands community to submit recipes for a hurricane-themed cookbook.
Stocking up on non-perishable food is an important part of hurricane preparation and many Virgin Islanders find creative and delicious ways to spice up their meals during and following a storm. The USVI Storm Strong team would like to know your favorite hurricane recipes for the One Territory, One Pot community cookbook! Once completed, this cookbook will be published digitally and free to download as a PDF file from the USVI Storm Strong website. Submission details and instructions can be found at the USVI Storm Strong Website at www.usvistormstrong.org / hurricane-cookbookor by texting or calling (340)-244-7188.
“This cookbook will be a resource created by the community, for the community and it will give families across the USVI helpful tips, tricks, and meal ideas when preparing for, facing, and recovering from, a hurricane or other natural disaster,” said Dr. Kristin Grimes, assistant professor at the University of the Virgin Islands and USVI Storm Strong team leader.
The “One Territory, One Pot” cookbook is part of a larger effort by the USVI Storm Strong Program, a five-year, community-based, hurricane preparedness program started in 2019 and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Environmental Literacy Program, to better prepare the USVI community for hurricanes. In 2019, the program engaged St. Thomas families in an eight-week program
that provided hurricane preparedness information, tools, and resources. The workshop also provided support for families to turn their ideas about making the USVI community more resilient to future storms, into action. This community cookbook was one of three ideas that developed from the 2019 workshop and were turned into action with additional support from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. “One Territory, One Po" is the idea of 2019 workshop participants Denise Webster, Annette Mauvais, and Marguerite ‘Sister’ Price.
Community engagement specialist for the Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and USVI Storm Strong team member, Jarvon Stout, added, “It is our hope that sharing these recipes will help the community better prepare for hurricane season, as well as nurture the strong community memories that many of us feel about cooking.”
The USVI Storm Strong Team continues to adapt to changing conditions brought about by COVID-19, and in addition to this project, in April 2020 shared a variety of remote learning activities that can be found on the program’s website. These activities include a drawing contest, scavenger hunt, a computer game, and more.
Students who complete activities are eligible to win hurricane preparedness prizes.
To learn more about the USVI Storm Strong Program and these remote learning activities, please visit www.usvistormstrong.org.