I am a Canadian just recently returned from Cuba.  I am married to a Cuban for 24 years and spend much time on the island.  I had been in Cuba since March of this year and have first hand knowledge of the shortages and lack of basic living necessities now facing the Cuban people since Covid-19.  Day by day, I saw the situation for food and essential personal items getting scarcer and scarcer.  Because of my years spent on the island, I have very dear friends there.  The little toddler in the photo is one year old.  He is eating boiled eggs as that's all his parents have to give him.  It's a blessing that he loves eggs.  However eggs have become difficult to come by these days.  I know the whole world is suffering too, but maybe others like me have Cuba in their hearts and would like to help me, along with a church in Cuba, send a container with non-perishable food items, including rice, beans, powdered milk and personal hygiene products, like diapers etc.  The baby lives in Matanzas.

I am trying to raise money to cover the cost of sending a container to Cuba.  Depending on the amount raised, will be the size of the container.  The larger the donation, the larger the container, and the more people we can help.   Any funds remaining will purchase food and cleaning supplies.

The church that I am working with would be the distributor of the all the donations, the food and cleaning supplies.  There will NOT be any cash sent to Cuba, all funds will purchase food and supplies.

This is a huge problem facing the Cuban people because of the economic crises, lack of tourism and Covid-19.

There are long lines with more people than there are products.  Even with the threat of catching the virus, there is no choice but to go make the lines and pray you get something at the end.

Even a little bit counts, even if we help only a few, it's a few less tears shed.

Please help me feed a few children and babies, please help me dry a few tears.  Please donate to this worthy cause.  The Cuban people need to eat.

This letter below is  from Pastor Dopico.

Dear Friends, 

My best greetings to you,  

I hope this email finds you well in the midst of the complex time the world is living today.  

I am sending this email to update you of the situation in Cuba, and mainly to introduce you my friend, Denise Ruiz.  We hope you can help us in these difficult days that we are living in our country and asking for help. 

Denise has a warehouse in Toronto and also the capacity and opportunity to send containers to Cuba for humanitarian help.  She is being a very helpful and a trusted recourse for the Cuban Church donations.  If you have some extra money or donations to help, it would be a huge blessing.  She even can buy anything you wish, to save you time, for sending to Cuba.  Please contact her for more information.  

I am attaching a list of some of the needs and what we are doing in this difficult time.  

All church leaders and church families are doing well, every body is safe and well protected though with many limitations and problems.  We desperately need food, rice, beans, flour, pastas, sugar, lentils, canned meats and also personal hygiene products, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, detergents, diapers, baby formulas, baby food.  Any non perishable food.  

We also need farming supplies to help with the agriculture projects we are working on to grow our own food so we can continue to help the churches.  Shovels, picks, any agriculture tools, water hoses, pumps.  

We have several groups of prayers in Whats App, other platforms and also by regular phone calls.  We continue to pray for help. 

The first Cuban who passed away was a Pastor for the Assembly of God Church in Remedios,Villa Clara Province.  

As you know Cuba, this is a time of challenges, one of the main Cuban industries tourism is not operating.  This is important to the economy. 

Many people lost their jobs, private entrepreneurs are also closing most of the business, so many people are losing their daily income.  But even with money, there is not enough food coming into the country to buy.  

We have problems with access to water in some locations estimating with conservative numbers about 800 000 people with no every day access to water. Private transportation is almost not operating.  There is not enough food for everybody.   No hygienic supplies to fight the corona virus.  Schools are closed at least until September, in all levels of education.

There is no public or private transportation between provinces and no public transportation in municipality or local areas so many are walking.  

Also with the US Embargo and sanctions it is making it hard for Cuban families to manage the cost of daily living.  And no money comes into the country to buy food from outside.  

Our sewing Club at the Church is sewing mask for protection from virus, for the moment about 7 000 made at the church and some others are made at home. Many churches are doing that in Cuba we are estimating between all the churches and in their homes, around 100 000 fabric mask were made.

Church in Guasimas is continuing to producing bananas. Our farming program is producing tomatoes in the green houses, peppers and pineapples, fishing ministries are also doing good job.  We are supporting around 30 families who are social cases in the community plus helping another 100 in other locations.  Purify waters systems are providing water for the communities. We are starting building a Pig Farm and want to raise goat/sheep too.  With goat milk we can provide for babies and also make goat cheese.  But we are far from feeding the hungry, we can’t do it without your help.  

We are distributing bibles, and other materials all over the city and also around the country but people need to eat too.  Please try and help us, we are in desperate need.  People are hungry.  

With love and peace, 

Rev. Joel Ortega Dopico 

Pastor Varadero Presbyterian Church

CEO Cuban Church Council