Coconut Creek, Fla. (August 26, 2008) –Workers with one of the largest international aid agencies in Haiti have prepared for Hurricane Gustav. 

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. EDT, the eye of the Category 1 hurricane made landfall on the southwest coast of Haiti, not far from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, home to nearly 3 million people and Food For The Poor’s feeding center and warehouse.  Gustav is packing winds of nearly 90 miles an hour and possible rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches. 

Food For The Poor staffers in Haiti are ready to begin assessing damage and distributing relief supplies as soon as the storm has passed.  Food For The Poor’s Executive Director Angel Aloma says the Florida-based agency is well prepared for Gustav.

“We shipped thousands of essential disaster relief supplies to the Caribbean well ahead of the start of hurricane season,” said Aloma.  “We were ready for Fay, we’re ready for Gustav, and, with the support of our generous donors, we’ll be ready for whatever comes after,” he said.

Aloma says the supplies include tents, generators, emergency stoves, lanterns, hygiene kits and more.  He also says Food For The Poor has a stockpile of antibiotics, rehydration fluids, and nutrition bars and shakes donated recently by the health care company, Abbott.

And while Food For The Poor is ready to swing into recovery mode after Gustav passes, Aloma says that additional donations will allow for the long-term continuity of this relief effort.

To help storm victims in the Caribbean, log onto www.foodforthepoor.org or call
1-800-487-1158.

Food For The Poor is the second largest international relief and development organization in the nation and the # 1 charity in Florida.  With more than 96% of all donations going directly to programs that help those in need, Food For The Poor provides nourishing food, safe shelter, necessary medical care, educational materials, support for orphans and the aged, and much more to the poorest of the poor in 16 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.