Y-USA Hunger Relief put out a call recently about the Y of Western North Carolina’s (Asheville) need for food. They operate a food warehouse and have a fleet of delivery vehicles. The structure and the fleet made it through the storm but their food supply did not and the Regional Food Bank was destroyed. As a result, their community is in great need. The team at YMCA of Greater Boston was contacted due to our extensive efforts in Hunger Relief. After discussing with YWNC their food wish list ( they support individuals who are diabetic and have other medically tailored needs which means they need specific foods) and learning that there was a passable route to get to them, the YGB team got to work. They ensured the weight limit, driver training, insurance, truck and driver availability, truck service, and GPS tracking, all in a matter of hours so they could rapidly mobilize. Wendy, April (Head of the Hunger Warehouse) working with Paul and Jeremy (Head of Risk) mobilized this effort in a matter of hours to ensure that they could do this and do it responsibly. Ricardo Antunes, one of their Hunger Prevention drivers, and Sokthea Phay, Executive Director of Wang YMCA stepped up to share the 30 hours round trip to make delivery. They left at 6 am in the morning.
When our colleague at YWNC heard YGB could make this happen on a call yesterday, she burst into happy, relieved tears. She said the only food a lot of people down there have is what the helicopters have dropped in. She particularly appreciated the pallet of almond milk for our llactose-intolerant friends. Sokthea shared that he remembers during his childhood in Cambodia what it meant when the United Nations helicopters dropped that food and that was why he personally committed to making the trip. Y-USA’s Head of Hunger Relief wrote, “I can't tell you how proud I am of the Y family right now and inspired by them. My heart is bursting!!!!”
If you want to provide a helping hand as well to our hurricane-affected friends, please donate here: https://lnkd.in/emQBq4qV
