You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but inside two unassuming trailers on the Festival Village Grounds in Road Town, volunteers are helping to ensure that about 1,500 Virgin Islands residents a day eat well despite suffering massive losses in Hurricane Irma.
“We don’t want to advertise too much that we’re here,” said Mike Clark, executive director of humanitarian affairs for the Missouri-based organisation Convoy of Hope, “because the people who stop by aren’t always the people who need it the most. We want to get nutritious food to the neediest families until food security is restored.”
The food is destined for students in early childhood programmes, parents, babies, people staying in informal shelters, and anyone else in need — all of whom the organisation refers to as “guests of honour.”
In fact, on Sept. 28, the 85-meter-long cargo ship Roger White delivered 300,000 gallons of water and $2 million worth of food — enough to feed 5,000 people a day for a year, according to the non-profit organisation.
“It’s not that they can’t necessarily afford food, but they may lack a stove or a way to cook it,” Mr. Clark explained.
Volunteers pitch in
Since the second day after Irma, 500,000 meals have rolled out of these two trailers, thanks in part to volunteer cooks like Fiona O’Connor, a VI yacht captain who hasn’t been doing much sailing since Irma hit.
Instead, she’s spending her days slicing meat, chopping vegetables and boiling pasta, both out of her home and in the Convoy kitchen.
“I’ve just been figuring out ways to feed the people of the community any way I can,” she said.
Those lucky enough to try a sample, offered by volunteer Junior Watson, might get a bite of ground turkey bolognese served over pasta, with carrots and celery mixed in so artfully kids might not even notice they’re eating veggies.
Every afternoon, staff from early childhood programmes throughout the territory arrive to pick up meals for their students — over 900 children in all. When possible, they bring their own containers and utensils.
Mr. Clark explained why: “We want local communities to have skin in the game. We don’t want to just bring our own food in and give handouts to people. We use local ingredients when we can get them. If people are mobile, we give them vouchers to go to the store and buy their own food.”
Restaurants
In order to further infuse cash into the local economy, the organisation is also providing food to two restaurants. That initiative is unadvertised, but Mr. Clark said word of mouth has ensured a healthy turnout.
“They offer a regular price and a pay-what-you-wish ‘Irma price,’” he said.
VI chefs have also come in to cook for Convoy two days a week, now that many are out of work as the territory’s hospitality industry gets back on its feet.
“Anybody who asks to be paid, we pay them,” he said.
As to who gets fed, Mr. Clark said that the group has had success working with churches to identify those in need, but that “we ask clergy to identify those within their radius that aren’t necessarily church members.”
Anyone can get in touch with the organisation and notify it about residents in danger of being overlooked.
‘Sleeves rolled up’
Curt Richardson, founder and chairman of smartphone case manufacturer Otterbox, and his wife Nancy, owners of Little Thatch Island, who have worked closely with the organisation since Irma, providing support that goes beyond financial aid.
“Curt didn’t just donate money and walk away,” Mr. Clark said. “He was down there within days of the hurricane, sleeves rolled up, unloading ferries full of supplies from Puerto Rico at 2 a.m.”
And as government, military and law enforcement from overseas are already packing up to go where there’s more need, Mr. Clark wants to reassure residents that his organisation has no timeline for leaving the territory.
“We’ll stay until the work is done,” he said.
Next on the menu is helping repair schools and community centres, and arranging to provide people with hurricane-proof shelters. The organisation also has committed to providing school supplies for the more than 4,000 students in the territory as they return to class.
Also, Monday night, Convoy volunteers delivered a generator to the home of 101-year-old Carrot Bay resident Henrietta Smith.
“You can speak in terms of statistics,” Mr. Clark said, “but it’s all about making a difference in the life of one person.”
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