US Delivers Five Tons of Humanitarian Aid to SKN Students and Families

By: Tito J. Chapman

Story Credit: U.S. Embassy Bridgetown

Charities in St. Kitts and Nevis are the beneficiaries of 10,665lbs of humanitarian aid which were delivered on Saturday 25 July.

The delivery was made possible with the help of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Air Force, which provided airlift to transport the private U.S. charity donations.

In a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown, Linda Taglialatela said:

This initiative represents the best of the United States – individual citizens, the private sector, and the U.S. government and military all coming together to support a friend and neighbor – St. Kitts and Nevis.

The shipment included 900 backpacks and emergency supplies for primary and secondary students in the Federation. Operation School Bell, is working with the Ministry of Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs, and other community groups to distribute the supplies.

Also included in the shipment were beds, mattresses, and storage units to support the Garden of Rebirth domestic violence shelter for women and children. Some of the donations are also apart of Operation Band-Aid, a local initiative assisting households critically impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19.

ATime4Us Foundation Board Memeber, Connie Jaynes coordinated with USAID to ensure receipt of the humanitarian goods.

It was an awesome experience not just because it involved a big and really cool plane carrying stuff to help folks, but what the day represented overall—people coming together to help people.

Connie Jaynes

It was an emotional day for all of us who were involved. It was a dream come true.

Garden of Rebirth Founder Etsu Bradshaw-Caines.

American private businesses, non-profit groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals have now provided more than $4.6 billion in donations and assistance globally for the COVID-19 response. This assistance to St. Kitts and Nevis also supports the U.S.-Caribbean Resilience Partnership, a collaborative effort to build regional capacity to confront disaster response and promote strong communities.