TAMPA, Fla. — As relief efforts continue in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, volunteers across the Tampa Bay area keep collecting donations. Recently kindergarteners at MacFarlane Park Elementary School got involved by putting together relief kits.

From toiletries to snacks, the kids packed items into plastic bags and included notes for the recipients.

“We made some hearts and we wrote little messages for them to make them feel happy,” said Miya Takemori, one of the students who helped in the effort.

“It’s part of their nature. It’s part of who they are now. We started off by teaching them how they can be connected to others and show empathy,” said Nina Bac, a kindergarten teacher at the school.

After the kits were packed and boxed up, pilots from On the Upwind Flying Club flew the kits to the islands hit hardest by the storm.

“One of the guys almost started crying when he opened up the love note. So those little love notes really helped them out,” said Juan Concheiro, President of On the Upwind. 

"They helped out a lot. They helped a lot of children [and] a lot of families. And that’s what we’re about as a community,” said Will Smith, a captain who helped fly supplies to the Bahamas. 

Concheiro put together a video documenting their latest trip to deliver the kits.

The pilots’ mission continues. They used a warehouse for a month, collecting and organizing supplies there before delivering them. Now they’re focusing on collecting monetary donations to help individual families with their specific needs.

If you would like to help, click here.