Hurricane Matthew (October 2016):
Hurricane Matthew slammed into the town of Baracoa on October 5, 2016. The consequences were devastating: Three thousand homes were demolished, 23,000 others were seriously damaged.
Fifty days of constant rain after the hurricane exacerbated the situation.
The Friendship Association responded by sending a 40-ft container full of new mattresses. The container was loaded in Halifax and arrived in Santiago de Cuba on January 2 from where the mattresses were taken to Baracoa by truck and distributed to the most needy.
Please help with our ongoing campaigns.
To make a PayPal or a credit card tax exempt contribution
use the “donate button” at the bottom of the page.
Other fundraiser initiatives:
Nuance Gallery fundraiser
804 S. Dale Mabry, Tampa
(813) 875-0511
Visiting Cuban artist: Carlos Rene Aguilera Tamayo
Opening Friday October 14 6-8pm and Saturday October 15 1-3pm
Hurricane Ike (2008):
Response:
Fundraiser in St. Augustine
On October 22, 2008
“Believe in Baracoa” – A fundraiser to benefit the St. Augustine Baracoa Friendship Association
St. Augustine, FL- DOW Advantage, a pre-professional public relations group at Flagler College held a fundraiser at the Gamache-Koger Theater in Flagler College’s Ringhaver Student Center.
The women’s community service organization from Flagler College, Phi Alpha Omega, contributed a monetary donation to supply the food.
The purpose of the event is to create awareness about the victims of the multiple hurricanes, which devastated Cuba and left our Cuban neighbors with virtually nothing. Proceeds of the fundraiser were given to the St. Augustine Baracoa Friendship Association.
Trip to Canada
Between November 15 and November 19 a group of Friendship Association directors were in Canada to ship from Halifax a 40-ft container destined to hurricane victims in Cuba.
Working with handicapped
PETS
P.E.T is an acronym for Personal Energy Transportation.
The PET Project for Cuba is a collaborative initiative between the St. Augustine Friendship Association and PET-Florida.
PET-Florida is based at the Penny Farms retirement community, and is headed up by Larry Hills.
The goal of PET-Florida is “the GIFT OF MOBILITY for all of God’s people in need”. It is part of their ministry of Jesus Christ, whose disciples said “In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk.” Acts 3:6 PET-Florida is a completely ecumenical ministry under the Special Projects Division of the United Methodist Rural Fellowship.
They also serve and work with those whose lord is not Jesus!
In October 2003 the Friendship Association delivered the first two PETS to the Baracoan Asociación Cubana de Limitados Físico Motores (ACLIFIM), the Cuban Association of the handicapped, a non-governmental organization that is run by and for the handicapped.
In January 2004, 20 additional PETS were delivered for distribution to 16 rural sites around Baracoa.
Beginning in July 2006, we started delivering spare parts to the Province of Guantanamo.
The Friendship Association tried unsuccessfully to help ACLIFIM establish a workshop in Baracoa that would manufacture PETS in Cuba. PET-Florida had agreed to provide technical expertise as well as parts that might be difficult to find.
