VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (November 8, 2010) - Humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International (OBI) has partnered with the government of the Cayman Islands for a disaster relief effort to help the devastated Caribbean island of St. Lucia.
Hurricane Tomas hit St. Lucia hard last week, with electricity, telephone and clean water service out across most of the island. More than a dozen people were killed and damage assessment has been difficult due to storm debris.
Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International, received a telephone call over the weekend from McKeeva Bush, Premier of the Cayman Islands, asking if OBI could join with the government of Cayman in an effort to airlift relief supplies to St Lucia. Initially, OBI will be providing non-perishable food including MREs (meals ready to eat) that will be airlifted into St. Lucia on Wednesday morning along with other relief supplies donated by the people of the Cayman Islands.
Horan and David Darg, international disaster relief director for OBI, will accompany the supplies to St. Lucia on Wednesday and will meet with local officials to better assess other critical needs.
OBI is also readying two WMI water filtration/purification plants that are each capable of filtering and disinfecting 10,000 gallons of water per day. OBI has used WMI machines in over 15 countries during the past five years and currently operates 35 of them in Haiti at various locations including Haiti's largest hospital in Port-au-Price and the hospital in St Marc, the center of the current cholera outbreak. The WMI units are to arrive in St. Lucia later this week, where David Darg will assist with their installation and training locals in the operation and maintenance of the equipment. Darg is currently on the ground in Haiti managing the charity's humanitarian efforts there.
Bill Horan said, "We have partnered with the Cayman government following several Caribbean disasters including their own, when Hurricane Ivan ravaged Grand Cayman in 2004. The people of the Cayman Islands are very generous and always show a willingness to share their own resources with other island nations in times of natural disaster. In this case, the offer of sending a Cayman Airways 737 has opened an opportunity for Operation Blessing to reach out to the people of St Lucia. This is what synergy is all about."
For more information on OBI humanitarian efforts please log on to www.ob.org.
ABOUT OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL:
Operation Blessing International (OBI) is one of the largest charities in America, providing strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 23 countries around the world on a daily basis. In 2009, OBI was awarded Charity Navigator's coveted 4 star rating for sound fiscal management for the fifth year in a row, a feat that only 4% of rated charities have ever achieved. Forbes, which currently ranks OBI as one of "America's Most Efficient Charities," awarded OBI a perfect 100% rating in fundraising efficiency and 99% efficiency in charitable commitment. Additionally, the Chronicle of Philanthropy currently ranks OBI as the 23rd largest charity and the 6th largest international charity. Founded in 1978, Operation Blessing International has touched the lives of more than 235 million people in more than 105 countries and 50 states, providing goods and services valued at over $2.7 billion to date.
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CONTACT:
Chris Roslan
DRC Inc. Public Relations
(212) 966-4600
