Firestone Natural Rubber Co. will extend its Donation Cargo Program in Liberia through 2010, marking the ocean freight program’s fifth year.
FSNR provides space on its ships for relief goods and other donated cargo from U.S.-based charitable organizations to help rebuild Liberia after its 14-year civil war. Since 2006, when the cargo donation program was formalized, more than 75 shipments have fulfilled the program’s approval requirements and been scheduled for shipping to the port of Monrovia. Estimates provided by the humanitarian organizations put the value of this donated cargo at more than $2.5 million, the company said.
“Over the past four years we’ve seen Donation Cargo Program participants complete an array of humanitarian projects in Liberia,” said Dan Adomitis, President of FSNR. “While the country’s need for humanitarian work is great, the generous spirit of these organizations and their volunteers is far greater. By extending this program for a fifth year, we can continue to help those who are having such a positive impact on the lives of Liberians.”
Some of the Donation Cargo Program projects that took place in 2009 include: the International Book Project, which provided more than 8,000 English, math and science textbooks to a wide range of Liberian schools, from primary through university level; the “Hope Feeds: The Peanut Butter House” project, which addresses nutrition problems that plague HIV/AIDS patients through the use of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (including peanuts, powdered milk, powdered sugar and vitamins); starting new mission work at the Camphor Mission Station outside of Buchanan, Liberia, by shipping fast-setting concrete, food, water, office and school supplies and furniture, medical books, an examination table, bikes and tools; and shipping the fifth freight container of supplies – including food, greenhouses, toiletries, children’s books, sporting equipment and mosquito nets – to the Bethesda Christian Mission School in Monrovia.
Cargo space is available to qualified charitable organizations with the ocean freight expense covered by FSNR. Under the program, each company ship en route from Baltimore, Md., to the port of Monrovia in Liberia will reserve several containers’ worth of space for relief goods and other donated cargo. FSNR accepts containers of non-perishable foods, medical supplies, new and used clothing, school books and other relief goods and delivers them to Liberia on behalf of the donor charity.
