Hope2Haiti
Operation HOPE and Breedlove Foods, Inc., a Lubbock-based humanitarian relief organization, announce today a collaboration to provide critical food aid for Hurricane Matthew victims in Haiti. We are joining forces in an immediate effort to raise funds to send a 20-foot container including 450,000 servings of Breedlove’s fortified food blends to the Saint-Marc area. Due to the devastating nature of Hurricane Matthew, 80% of crops have been destroyed and many are without shelter throughout the country. It is expected to take years to rebuild and therefore fundraising efforts for food aid will be ongoing.
We are driven by the shared mutual goal of feeding the hungry. Operation HOPE began working with the people of Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and this effort will enable our current in-country connections to make the delivery of Breedlove food aid a possibility. There is great synergy with each organization, linked by a common board member, Brad Bouma.
Brad Bouma, Interim CEO/Board Member for Breedlove and President of the Board for Operation HOPE said, “This is an opportunity to be able to quickly provide life-saving nutrition to families who have lost everything, including their future due to the decimation of their crops. Breedlove has access to the food, and Operation HOPE has the direct contacts in Haiti, so it’s the perfect team to quickly and directly provide relief to people who desperately need it. When two dedicated organizations such as Breedlove and Operation HOPE come together with a common goal of feeding the hungry, and the people of this community and country support these efforts, then wonderful, life-changing things happen.”
The Breedlove food being prepared for Haiti consists of a dry lentil and dehydrated, vegetable blend that is prepared as a soup. It is easy to digest, contains complex carbohydrates (essential for energy), and can be seasoned to accommodate local food culture. The blends also have a two-year shelf life, making storage easy. In addition to the dry blend, Breedlove is including a supply of its VitaNUT meal replacement RUF (Ready to Use Food) peanut paste. This highly innovative product is an energy-dense nutritionally fortified paste designed for high-nutrient feeding situations with enormous benefits in addressing moderate to severe malnutrition.
We are honored to be working alongside Breedlove and can't wait to see the lives that will be changed as a result of this partnership! Check out one of the many news reports highlighting the press conference regarding the #Hope2Haiti campaign, and please be sure to use the #Hope2Haiti hashtag as often as you can on social media to help us spread the word!
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