Food For The Poor Aid Delivered to Families in St. Vincent
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 21, 2021) Families stricken by the eruption of St. Vincent volcano La Soufrière are receiving essential relief items, thanks to Food For The Poor’s island partner that is overseeing distribution.
The United Nations is warning of a potential humanitarian crisis as St. Vincent and the Grenadines deal with continued eruptions while grappling with a surge in COVID-19 cases. Hurricane season looms five weeks away.
The northern third of the island has been covered in ash. Buildings have been damaged. Crops and livestock have been destroyed. Residents have limited access to clean drinking water due to ash that has contaminated water sources, according to news reports.
The charity airfreighted a disaster relief kit to Barbados, and those goods, along with relief items from FFTP’s partners in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St. Lucia, were shipped to the island of St. Vincent and are being distributed by the Catholic Diocese of Kingstown.
Ash reduced visibility and temporarily closed airports in St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Barbados, forcing the relief kit to be redirected several times.
“The island of St. Vincent really has been harmed in such a terrible way because of the continued eruptions,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine. “The ash is sitting on top of everything, including the crops. People who evacuated may not be able to go back to the area for quite a while. Our prayers are with the entire island.”
FFTP plans to ship seven containers of aid from partners over the next month, containing items such as cleaning supplies, goggles and masks, hard hats, personal hygiene items, medical supplies, food and clothing.
The charity also is purchasing cleaning supplies that will be shipped to St. Vincent and Barbados, which are both affected by ash.
About 20,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes on St. Vincent since the volcano first erupted on April 9, with 12,000 taking refuge in a mix of government-run or private shelters or staying with family or friends.
The charity’s partner is waiting for the OK to assess damage and determine what repairs or rebuilding are necessary in the red zone that is closest to the volcano.
Locally, FFTP is collecting essential goods to help families affected by the eruption. Goods can be dropped off at the charity’s Coconut Creek warehouse, 6401 Lyons Road, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Masks and social distancing are required.
For more information on the items that are being accepted , please go to www.foodforthepoor.org/vincentrelief.
Donors also can provide relief items via Food For The Poor’s Amazon charity list: www.foodforthepoor.org/emergencysupplies.
To make a cash donation for families in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, please go to www.foodforthepoor.org/vincent, or call 1-800-427-9104.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]