Aid to Santiago de Cuba

[rumrunner]

Hello Folks;
 Wish to advise that , at long last, we are planning to load this year's first container for Cuba on  Saturday NOVEMBER 24th at the usual location, (686681 HIGHWAY # 2 Princeton Ontario ). We'll hope to start  8.30 to 9.00 AM and have the customary  lunch and social hour  afterwards.This first container will go directly to Santiago to assist the  thousands of victims of Huricane Sandy which hit the  city and immediate area directly late last month. According to the latest report that we have heard, in excess of 15300 houses were completely destroyed in Santiago, as well as thousands more in the path of this hurricane which wreaked havoc from Chivirico to the west, to well east of Santiago city , and  a large swath  of  territory all the way to Banes, Guardalavaca and rafael freire on the north shore of Cuba. The needs are great and we will try to do our part. Until the last few days we had been unable to get  a response to our offer of help, due to the lack of communication in that part of the island.
 We also hope to fill another container of emergency and  badly needed materials for the people and health care facilities of the stricken area, (Chivirico,  Palma Soriano, Contramaestre)  before the end of December, as well as a container of humanitarian aid to the poor areas of the province of Mayabeque, in Cuba on December 15th, if all goes well.
 For the December 29th (tentative date) container, we need all types of household items, such as  pots, pans, dishes,  towels, bedding,tools and more. So if you can help, we welcome the assistance. Meanwhile we are buying  personal  care and hygiene products, tarps and whatever else  that can help alleviate the misery of some of these tens of thousands of poor victims who have lost what little they had, and are now desperate.
So, as stated previously, we need manpower on November 24th, December 15th, and December 29th,to load containers, and some time in between to pick up and organize materials.
 We hope that you will  respond as generously as most of you have done in the past with your time, dedication,  enthusiasm and materials.
 If you have any questions, please  call or email:  Marion, John, Rick ( Rumrunner),or Joe Ohara.
 Hoping to hear from you soon,