Miami-Dade County, the MSC Foundation, and Food for the Poor join forces to Provide Humanitarian Assistance to the People of Haiti

08/11/2021

Miami-Dade County, the MSC Foundation, and Food for the Poor join forces to Provide Humanitarian Assistance to the People of Haiti

Miami, U.S - 2 November 2021 - The MSC Foundation and Food for the Poor have partnered with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime to coordinate humanitarian assistance and emergency aid to the people of Haiti. These humanitarian relief efforts are in response to the ongoing crisis in Haiti.

The MSC Foundation is donating 20 shipping containers to earthquake victims for immediate use as temporary shelter and the storage of provisions. In addition, MSC Group will be supporting MSC Foundation through its cargo business – MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) - to coordinate additional shipments of relief goods from PortMiami.

Since its launch in 2019, the MSC Foundation has contributed both to immediate and longer-term relief and recovery efforts across the world in collaboration with MSC Group of companies. Examples of previous projects include delivering healthcare services and education supplies in 5 remote communities in Haiti; providing hurricane disaster relief and supporting the recovery of damaged facilities in the Bahamas; facilitating access to personal protective equipment in the most COVID-19 affected countries; shipping essential goods to communities impacted by the violent volcanic eruption in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, etc.

MSC Group, a leading shipping and logistics conglomerate has been closely tied to the region for decades. Through its import and export cargo operations, as well as other economy-supporting investments through MSC Cruises, the group has a strong presence in Florida, U.S. as well as serving as a key player in the development of the local economy in Haiti, the third-largest country in the Caribbean.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman and Chair of the MSC Foundation Executive Committee commented: “We are proud to work with partners that allow us to respond quickly to situations of need, deploying our capabilities of reach, scale and breadth of resources in concrete actions to alleviate suffering and improve health outcomes. This prompt initiative of the Miami-Dade County Mayor with Food For The Poor to coordinate humanitarian assistance and emergency aid for the people of Haiti shows how great challenges can be overcome by a combined response, working together with dynamism and passion like one big family.”

“The Haitian people are not only hurting from the aftermath of the earthquake earlier this year but also continues to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are extremely grateful for MSC Foundation’s partnership and commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people during this difficult time. We in Miami-Dade County stand in solidarity with the members of the Haitian community and are always ready to join them in these efforts.”

“I am grateful for the thoughtful response of the MSC Foundation,” said Commissioner Jean Monestime. “In partnering with Miami-Dade County to provide humanitarian assistance to Haiti in the aftermath of the August 14th devastating 7.2 earthquake, I know these efforts will create new avenues for the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora as they continue to make vigilant efforts toward recovery and reconstruction.”

“We are so grateful to Miami-Dade County and PortMiami for donating their time to sort and pack these lifesaving goods. We especially want to thank MSC Foundation for their generous gift of the container and getting these critically needed relief items to Haiti. This will be a blessing to countless lives,” said Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine. “Haiti is suffering and it’s heartening to see the community come together to support our brothers and sisters who are in desperate need.”

Watch a video about the Miami-Dade and MSC Foundation packing event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q37c3_ukOw

- ENDS-

About MSC Foundation

The MSC Foundation utilises MSC’s global reach and unique knowledge of the sea to take immediate action that contributes to protecting and nurturing the blue planet and all its people. The Foundation helps disaster-struck populations toward recovery and support vulnerable communities around the world to realise their full potential through education, sustainable development and medical humanitarian projects. For more information, please visit www.mscfoundation.org

About Food For The Poort

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.

###

Photo Captions:

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_59c:

L to R: PortMiami CEO and Director Juan M. Kuryla; Food For The Poor Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Khouri; Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine; and Alessio Lombardi, Trade Manager, Central America & Caribbean at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. Nearly three dozen volunteers from Miami-Dade County government, PortMiami and MSC Foundation visited the charity’s Coconut Creek warehouse on Wednesday, where they sorted and packed 1,782 pounds of food, 182 baby kits and 146 cleaning kits in less than two hours. All the relief items are destined for Haiti. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_90c:

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, center, and Alessio Lombardi, Trade Manager, Central America & Caribbean at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, joined about three dozen volunteers from Miami-Dade County government, PortMiami and MSC Foundation on Wednesday as they sorted and packed relief items for Haiti at Food For The Poor’s Coconut Creek warehouse. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_111c:

L to R: PortMiami CEO and Director Juan M. Kuryla; Food For The Poor Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Khouri; Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; Alessio Lombardi, Trade Manager, Central America & Caribbean at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company; and Elizabeth Owens, Chief of Staff for Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime. MSC Foundation donated a container that FFTP filled with relief items for Haiti. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_114c:

About three dozen volunteers from Miami-Dade County government, PortMiami and MSC Foundation visited Food For The Poor’s Coconut Creek warehouse on Wednesday to sort and pack food, baby kits and cleaning kits for Haiti. MSC Foundation donated a container that FFTP filled with other relief items for the impoverished country. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_126c:

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is interviewed by Food For The Poor about the partnership between the county, PortMiami, MSC Foundation and the charity to help families in Haiti recovering from the August 14 earthquake. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_149c:

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, right, and Alessio Alessio Lombardi, Trade Manager, Central America & Caribbean at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, look on at Food For The Poor’s Coconut Creek warehouse as relief items for Haiti are loaded into a container donated by MSC Foundation. Photo/Food For The Poor

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_176c:

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_288c:

20211027_FFTP_AL_Miami Government Volunteers_333c: