Food For The Poor is ramping up its response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) in the countries it serves, based on urgent requests from its offices and partners. The charity has sent 26 shipments of supplies to seven countries.

Image/Food for the Poor

Last week, 20 pallets of urgently needed medical supplies were airfreighted to Guyana, Haiti, Honduras and Jamaica. Now, even more countries are affected and, just like here in the United States, the needs are growing. Other countries helped so far are the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and St. Lucia.

“We are doing everything that’s within our power to help the poor. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, life for the truly destitute was already hard, but now with this new pandemic it’s becoming nearly impossible for many,” Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine said.

“We are hopeful our efforts will save lives,” he continued. “Even at this time, when we are working remotely due to the virus, our staff is dedicated to bringing relief to others, even when they are concerned for their own families. We are so very grateful for our donors.”

In addition to medical supplies, food security is compromised at this point and is a critical need. Food For The Poor is receiving an increasing number of requests for food from El Salvador, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Honduras, Haiti, Grenada, Trinidad and Puerto Rico.

In Jamaica, Food For The Poor is also helping the National Health Fund, an agency with which it has had a longstanding relationship.

“These items received today will go a far way in the response to the coronavirus and, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the people of Jamaica, I would like to say, ‘Thank you for your continued partnership in public health,’” Jamaica National Health Fund CEO Everton Anderson told Loop News this week in accepting the goods.

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor 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 orphaned and abandoned children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.