Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and “Bill’s Kitchen” (BK) headquartered in San Juan. Sandy Torres continues to serve as their executive director. BK, founded in 1993, is focused on providing home delivered nutrition and other crucial services to persons living with HIV/AIDS. Currently, the organization provides for about 800 persons annually through 3 locations on the island. Bill’s Kitchen is the only organization in Puerto Rico providing specialized nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community.

Let me summarize the current circumstances of Bill’s Kitchen and say at the outset that you can play a meaningful role in helping our sister organization by way of a financial contribution, either now or in future; the earlier the better, but such an expression of friendship is never too late.

Communication with Puerto Rico and Bill’s Kitchen is severely limited. That said, our sister organizations in the Food is Medicine coalition has e-mailed Torres and have spoken on several occasions this week with one of their well-informed supporters, Andrew Carrollton, President, The Miguel Urgell Charitable Foundation. Andrew has had daily communication with Sandy since the hurricane. Our sister organizations receive messages from her most evenings.

Bill’s Kitchen, as with most of the Commonwealth, remains without electricity. There is no landline; phone service; extremely limited cell phone coverage; intermittent safe water; very limited fuel for vehicles/generators; martial law/evening curfew and oppressive heat. BK has already distributed most of the food available to them, but hopes for new supplies in coming time. Today they acquired fuel that will permit them to visit some of their most remote clients on the island. The organization is very short of funds and would appreciate contributions from FIMC members. We are all aware through news coverage of severe devastation throughout Puerto Rico. Sandy describes her organizations circumstances and those of their clients as “desperate”.

We have received wire information to wire funds directly to Bill’s Kitchen’s bank account to help. Anyone wishing for us to send funds may provide us with a check made out to Poverello with the memo: “Bills Kitchen” and we’ll make sure to get it to them via wire transfer. Here are their social media accounts, but don’t expect that they can easily answer as they are without power:

Website:

http://www.billskitchenpr.org/about/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Bills-Kitchen-Inc-123543561020514/timeline/

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