COCONUT CREEK – Relief supplies including drinking water, hygiene kits, blankets, buckets and more are being sent by a leading international aid agency to victims of the recent storms that have devastated areas of the Caribbean.
Food For The Poor announced that it will ship some of the items from its Coconut Creek warehouse today, while additional supplies will be shipped directly from donors in other states. The nonprofit agency also said that the effects from the trio of Tropical Storms Fay, Gustav and Hanna have been particularly devastating for the residents of Haiti.
Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director, notes that he’s received reports from the field that nonstop rain from Hanna has caused severe flooding throughout Haiti. He says the city of Gonaives is experiencing worse flooding than when Tropical Storm Jean hit the island in 2004, with more than 3,000 lives lost. To help reduce the death toll from Hanna, Food For The Poor is using some of its fishing boats to rescue people from the rising waters. In Port-de-Paix, Aloma says, some residents have been on rooftops for more than a day with no food or water, enduring the wrath of the storm.
“As anyone who’s been through a hurricane knows, the ferocity of the storm can rage for hours, but it can take months or even years to rebuild,” said Aloma. “That’s why we need to keep the relief shipments going – to help those poor people rebuild their lives.”
Food For The Poor is sending nearly $1,000,000 worth of aid within the next two weeks, but because of the number of storms that have hit the Caribbean and the wide-ranging damage that has been caused. However, additional donations are greatly needed.
To help victims of these devastating storms, go to www.foodforthepoor.org/hurricane or call 1-800-487-1158.
