HANMI, Kilili donate relief items to Karidat

Karidat recently received a total of $20,000 worth of relief items from the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Acting Karidat executive director Judith Pangelinan accepted the donation from the HANMI board of directors, represented by chairwoman Gloria Cavanagh, secretary Hiroki Sugie, and board member Abner Acosta.

“We are all suffering and seeing everybody working together to ease the pain of those who are affected by this and help them pick up again and start all over is great because there are a lot of volunteers and a lot of people donating,” Pangelinan said.

Pangelinan said that even before the typhoon, Karidat was already out of items to be given away.

“Right before the typhoon, our pantry was completely bare. People come here and ask for food every day. Anybody that comes here, we have to give them whatever we have. Once we depleted it, we have to turn them away and tell them we’re sorry we don’t have any until such time that an organization or business donate again,” she said.

HANMI’s donation included 332 cases of soba, 205 cases of luncheon meat, 166 cases of canned fruit, and 124 cases of canned vegetables. HANMI acknowledged distributer D&Q Saipan for giving them a discount on the luncheon meat purchased.

“At this time, with so many people losing their homes and thousands of households without power, we know food remains a primary concern for many,” said Cavanagh.

“As a longstanding partner of the community, HANMI wants to help alleviate this immediate need and is pleased to partner with Karidat to get this food out into the villages,” she added.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) also donated butane to be included in the relief kits that will be distributed by Karidat.

A total of 50 cases of butane were delivered to the Karidat office last Friday.

Karidat was also able to get a grant from Catholic Charities worth $10,000 to get relief supplies, half of which were food items while the other half were used to purchase hygiene supplies, gas vouchers and butane.

All of these will be included in the care packages to be distributed sometime this week. Karidat hoped to repack items over the weekend and distribute today but weather got bad due to Tropical Storm Goni.

Karidat said they will not be distributing in their office but will be going out to the community.

“Our distribution will be at the parishes at each of the Catholic churches. We might begin with Kagman parish for the first distribution,” Pangelinan said.

“Those from San Antonio don’t need to go to all the way to Kagman because we will also be distributing goods in San Antonio. We want to go out to the community instead of them coming to us,” she added.

Karidat said they will be announcing through the media when they will hold relief distribution in the community. Members of the 19th Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature will also assist with the distribution.