FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Aug. 18, 2008) – Together, Hurricanes Dean and Noel killed nearly 200 people in 2007.  The devastating storms destroyed thousands of homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. 

A year later, as Tropical Storm Fay wreaks havoc across the Caribbean and threatens Florida, Food For The Poor and Abbott are partnering to help the people of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic prepare for the 2008 hurricane season. 

Food For The Poor recently shipped thousands of essential disaster relief supplies such as tents, generators, emergency stoves, lanterns, hygiene kits and more to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.  Now, Abbott is donating thousands of its potentially lifesaving products including antibiotics, PediaSure nutrition drinks, Pedialyte rehydration fluids, Ensure shakes, and ZonePerfect nutrition bars. 

“As we continue to prepare for the 2008 hurricane season, we are extremely grateful to the organizations that are assisting us,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director.  “Abbott has been instrumental in our preparedness efforts with its donations of antibiotics, nutritional drinks, re-hydration fluids, and nutritional bars.  The supplies Abbott is donating can mean the difference between life and death, and are essential in our aid efforts when a major disaster occurs.”

On August 19, 2007 Hurricane Dean ravaged Jamaica.  Packing winds of 144 miles per hour, Dean dumped more than 13 inches of rain on the island, toppled trees, damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, and caused millions of dollars in damage to Jamaica’s crops.  Hurricane Dean killed three people in Jamaica and was responsible for the deaths of six people in the Dominican Republic and 14 in Haiti.

Nearly a month later, in late October, disaster came once more to the Caribbean.  Noel, a slow moving tropical storm with torrential rains, caused floods and mudslides, washed away bridges, and brought down homes.  Noel killed 87 people in the Dominican Republic, 73 people in Haiti, and one person in Jamaica. 

In the aftermath of Noel and Dean, Food For The Poor rushed hundreds of tractor-trailer loads of relief supplies to the survivors to help them through the recovery.  Today, with generous support from the American people and corporate partners like Abbott, Food For The Poor continues to help rebuild lives throughout the Caribbean and Latin America and prepare for the next natural disaster.

Food For The Poor, the second largest international relief and development organization in the nation and the #1 charity in Florida, does much more than simply feed the millions of hungry poor in 16 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 1982, we have provided clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and emergency relief, with more than 96% of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For additional information, please visit the Web site www.foodforthepoor.org.