FOOD FOR THE POOR, INC.CONTACT: Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations, FFP Inc.
(954)
427-2222 x 6054
jennifero@foodforthepoor.com Erica James-King
Communication Mgr., PROComm
(876) 564-5277
YB Afraid
Foundation and Food For The Poor Assist Hurricane Sandy Victims in Jamaica
COCONUT CREEK,
Florida. (Oct. 30, 2012) –
Hurricane Sandy victims in Fruitful Vale and Norwich in Portland, Jamaica, were
relieved when a caravan of containers and trucks manoeuvred past downed power
lines and debris to bring them emergency relief assistance on Sunday, October
28. YB Afraid Foundation and Food For The Poor partnered to bring the
critically needed supplies to approximately 700 people in urgent need of
assistance.
YB Afraid, Yohan
Blake’s Foundation, made a monetary donation that was matched by Food For The
Poor, and assisted in the delivery of food, WATA brand water bottles,
mattresses, blankets, and shoes to soaked Hurricane Sandy victims.
The presence of the 28
Food For The Poor staff members and volunteers wearing the charity’s and YB
Afraid Foundation shirts offered residents comfort and hope.
“No other organization
has come in to help since the passage of the hurricane,” said Kedine White, a
Fruitful Vale resident. “This is the first form of help we are getting, I am
truly appreciative and I know the other residents are too.”
In Portland, many
residents reported having the roofs of their homes ripped off, and creeping
ocean floodwaters seeping in around windows and doors, filling homes with mud.
The hurricane strength wind gusts and merciless rain bands have magnified the
need for safe, permanent housing in Jamaica.
"My daughter and
I were badly affected by the Hurricane,” said White. “I am so thankful to Food
For The Poor for the help, especially the mattress, because we have been
sleeping on a damp bed since the hurricane and my daughter's asthma has been
acting up ever since. Now we have somewhere dry to sleep at night."
The storm's aftermath
will be difficult for the island's farmers who report that ripe fruits were
stripped from trees, banana plants were flattened, and pepper plants submerged
in mud.
FFP & YB Afraid Foundation Distribute Hurricane Relief Packages in Portland
25-year-old resident from Fruitful Vale in Portland, Kedine White, firmly grips a mattress that was donated to her by Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica and the YB Afraid Foundation during the distribution of relief items in the community on Sunday. YB Afraid, Olympic medal winner Yohan Blake's foundation, made a monetary donation that was matched by Food For The Poor to assist families affected by Hurricane Sandy in Fruitful Vale and Norwich, in Portland.
“The storm did a lot
of damage in Portland,” said Blake. “A lot of people are suffering without
shelter or even food to eat. I am glad to be in a position to help. Through my
foundation's partnership with Food For The Poor and WATA on this project we are
able to make a positive difference in the lives of those suffering."
Storm relief items
from Food For The Poor-Jamaica’s warehouse in Kingston are being distributed
and additional containers are expected to arrive soon. The most urgent need now
is for cash donations so that food supplies can be replenished, and new homes can
be built to prevent any more deaths from landslides.
In November, Blake
will lead Food For The Poor’s 5K
Walk/Run For Hunger in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Proceeds from the 5K
Walk/Run will raise money to purchase food to feed destitute families in the
Caribbean and Latin America. You can also help by signing up online to fight hunger
alongside Jamaican Olympic medal winner Blake on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 a.m.
at Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Register
to participate in the charity’s 5K Walk/Run online
at www.FoodForThePoor.org/walk.
While on the website, take advantage of free fundraising tips designed to help you reach
your fundraising goal by sharing your ideas with family, friends, co-workers and
contacts.
Cost of registration
is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-10. There’s no fee for children 5
and under. The registration
cost includes a T-shirt for the first 1,500 who sign up. There will be
refreshments, live music, balloon artists, face painters and more at this
family event. Registration
starts at 6:30 a.m., the walk/run begins at 7 a.m. and the awards ceremony is
at 8 a.m.
Food For The Poor,
named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy
as the largest international relief
and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed
millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America.
This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief
assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for
orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development
assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs
that help the poor.
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