Another shipment is on it’s way to Jamaica thanks to the ongoing support of Canadian donors and the generosity and hard work of our partners, the Ontario Christian Gleaners and the Westover Layette Ladies.
On Monday, two FFPC staff members drove to the site of the Ontario Christian Gleaners (OCG) and were thoroughly impressed with their operation. The OCG consists of 70 to 80 volunteers on a daily basis, all busy chopping up surplus produce that had been donated from local farms in the Cambridge area or from other trusted sources. Volunteers chop up the veggies into small chunks which then get shredded into even smaller bits to be dehydrated, packaged and shipped. Protein sources, like barley, lentils, split peas, are added to the mix of various dried veggies.
This shipment was sent to Jamaica to support school and community nutrition initiatives. A 1.4kg bag of soup is enough to serve up to 100 meals. 4,590 were shipped – that’s 459,000 meals for children and their families!
We also included beautifully made layettes by the ladies of Westover Layettes. Each layette kit consists of baby clothes, blanket, washcloths, shoes, socks, sewing kits, bar soap, and stuffed animals. These layettes will be distributed by our partners in Jamaica to new moms and families to support them with providing excellent care to their children.
These layettes support families, like those of Winfred Morris, a grandmother of three in Jamaica who received a previous layette kit. She says that even though it can be difficult to ask for help, she is grateful for the layettes, “because my grandchildren really needed them. Every item we got has been put to good use. As a matter of fact, pieces that were too small for the nine month old were given to a lady who was in a similar situation.”
Only with the support of generous donors and the commitment of our partners, can we continue to support children, moms, families and entire communities. We can’t wait to continue working together to ensure that families and communities in the Caribbean and Latin America have access to what they need to live a healthy, safe, and full life. Thank you!