By Sharon Aron Baron
Coconut Creek nonprofit Food For The Poor responds to an urgent need for aid by airfreighting disaster relief kits to help families affected by the erupting St. Vincent volcano in the island of La Soufrière.
La Soufrière, located on the largest island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines chain. The volcano erupted two times on Friday, with the second explosive eruption smaller than the first one, which occurred earlier.
Roughly 16,000 people live in the designated zone and require evacuation.
The disaster relief kits from Food for the Poor contain disaster blankets, disaster hygiene kits, and children’s activity kits to support the children affected by the volcanic eruption. The goods were provided by Matthew 25: Ministries, MAP International, and Midwest Mission Distribution Center. Empty cruise ships were being dispatched to arrive in the Caribbean island on Friday to assist in the evacuation.
Food For The Poor also is sending funds to buy food in Barbados, which is expected to receive evacuees. Barbados is also working with its Coast Guard to send food to St. Vincent. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgetown will be responsible for the distribution of aid to St. Vincent.
St. Lucia also is setting up shelters in case more evacuees need a safe place to go.
Through the Foundation for the Enhancement and Enrichment of Life, Trinidad and Tobago are sending disaster blankets and hand sanitizer via its Coast Guard to Barbados to assist.
“The islands in this area of the Caribbean are vulnerable to natural disasters, and they are facing one now with the eruption of this volcano,” Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine said. “Our partners there have informed us of the needs, and we are responding to them. All of those affected, the people on St. Vincent and those helping them, are in our prayers.”
To help, visit FoodForThePoor.org.
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