With more than thirty volunteers, the UMAC Cargp Express Winnipeg led by Garry and Aida Montierro, manager/owners, mobilized their door to door service by calling family friends in Winnipeg, Brandon and Steinbach, to donate used clothes, shoes, children and baby dresses, shoes, blankets and groceries. And the response was tremendous and it took them many days and nights to pack and repack the donations.
Donations of goods came from Western Glove, Warehouse One (new garments) Greenwood Hotel (blankets and bed sheets), Steinbach and Brandon Filipino associations, french school, and families and friends.
“I am so amazed and humbled by the responses from our friends, our clients and our canadian friends when we started our plan to send relief goods to the typhoon victims”, said Garry Montierro who was busy assisting the Steinbach delegation led by its president, Cesar Valdez,to unload the forty boxes of relief goods donated by the Filipinos in Steinbach.
The warehouse of UMAC was busy like a beehives where the volunteers had to work classifying the relief goods. Toys, used clothes for men, women, children, boys and babies and blankets were packed separately.
Upon learning some of the news of relief goods which are no longer being accepted by the Philippine government, the UMAC management changed their plans to distribute the relief donations.
“We decided that the UMAC Philippines will be in charge to distribute these relief goods. No non-governmental organizations or agencies will be handling this responsibility,” Aida said. “And we want to be sure that these reliefs will be given direct the victims, and this way, I want that the donors here in Manitoba to be comfortable with our system”, Aida added. The collection of cash amounting to $5,000 was endorsed to Canadian Red Cross.
According to Aida, more than 20 boxes are addressed to some barangays and churches where the needs are most wanted.
“We do this to help our kababayan, at least in a very small way. We feel the needs of the Haiyan typhoon victims. and our service would be used to extend our help from Canada,” said Larry Baguisa. CEO of UMAC Express Cargo, who is planning to leave for Manila and lead the distribution of the relief goods in the Visayas. UMAC Cargo Express in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto had accepted free shipment from their kababayans for their kins in the affected areas in Central Visayas.
With the continuous work of the volunteers, Gary and Aida and their relatives perpared food and drinks as a sustenance for their effort in separating the donations, folding and putting in the box.
Men volunteers closed and taped the boxes with relief identifications.
“Maraming salamat sa mga nagdonate ng mga reliefs,at makaka-asa kayo na makararating ang inyong tulong sa nasalanta ng bagyo, ” Garry said.
It was all fun after finishing more than 150 boxes. Every one was all smiles, but behind their smiles, the images of desolation, hardship and homelessness still fresh in their minds.
“Sana naman, huwag nang maulit ang ganitong tradedya, nakalulungkot,” one of the volunteers said with fervent wish.
Photos by Rod Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
