Adventist Relief Agency Making Major Contribution to Relief Effort

The Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA) has been playing an instrumental role in the hurricane relief effort mobilising millions of dollars to help persons who suffered losses during the disaster.
Regional Coordinator for ADRA, Pastor Claude Brown, told JIS News, that the organisation had committed to assisting 20 shelters in Manchester. “Our pastors were mobilised and were very busy taking food and other relief items to the shelters. Our main concern at this point is that people should be returning to their homes so as to allow the children to go back to school, some of which served as official shelters,” he said.
Pastor Brown explained that ADRA, through its “international connections” had received major donations from abroad.
“So far, we have brought relief supplies into Jamaica valued at millions of dollars. for example on Tuesday an American plane came in loaded with goods such as food items, clothing and bedding valued at over $35 million and we are busy distributing these gifts. (On Wednesday, Sept. 22),) we received from another donor agency in America, medical supplies and nutritional products for children, infants the elderly and the indigent,” he indicated.
The ADRA Regional Coordinator pointed out that other supplies would arrive in the island next week. “Here in Jamaica, we will be getting an estimated 10 to 12 forty foot containers of supplies coming out of England, across the United States and elsewhere and these will be items for roof restoration and tools,” he said.
In addition, Pastor Brown said, “we have received major funding from the German Government and this we will be using in the parish of Clarendon mainly in the Rocky Point and Portland Cottage areas and there is also another small project to repair roofs in Manchester,” he said.
He noted that strong links had also been formed with the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) and that organisation would be donating approximately $5 million to the relief effort. “We will also be working with other non governmental groups such the Salvation Army, Jamaica Red Cross and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Parish Councils and the Poor Relief Department,” he told JIS News.
Pastor Brown revealed that through a special arrangement with the Mandeville Branch of the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) and an account has been established for persons or organisations could make lodgements to help fund the relief activity of ADRA.
“The ADRA account number is 22056170 and for persons who wish to volunteer their services to work alongside us, you can contact my office at 125 Manchester Road or by telephoning 625-2005,” he said.