As the devastation in the Philippines continues to unfold, our hearts go out to the thousands of people whose lives are forever changed by Typhoon Haiyan that ravaged many parts of the country on November 8, 2013.
When natural disasters such as these happen, people want to help. So do we! While Food for Kidz has responded to all types of natural disasters in the past, we are not an emergency relief agency. Our food and assistance will bring relief to thousands of hungry people, but we are careful not to hinder other emergency efforts already underway. Instead, we focus on what we can do right now to provide the maximum help and relief when arrangements are made. To do that, we are committed to responding with a well-planned approach.
Our well planned approach, already underway includes the need to:
- Establish a partner organization on the ground in the Philippines with the best resources, connections, and infrastructure to get food to those who need it most.
- Identify a mode of transportation and the funding required to get the food where it needs to go and into the hands of hungry people.
- Assess customs requirements and coordinate all efforts involved.
Yes, we will send what food we can, as soon as possible. Again, great efforts are being made by various military and civilian disaster response teams that know how to answer the call for need and do it well. The help Food for Kidz can provide will make a difference, as long as we have a plan in place and can insure the right connections are made to get the food quickly to people.
How can you help right now?
For us to be able to respond when the time comes, we need to have food packaged and ready to ship! We need those interested in helping to get started with organizing a packing event! People who are willing to assist by scheduling and coordinating a packing event as a response to the needs in the Philippines should call us.
