Posts Categorized: Caribbean News
TOTE Maritime and Walmart partner to deliver more than 300 Toys to Puerto Rico
December 20, 2017
Toys arrive in San Juan on Dec 1 for the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico – TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in partnership with Walmart delivered more than 300 toys for boys and girls of all ages to the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico today.
The toys will be distributed to children and their families later this week in time for Christmas and the upcoming holidays.
This is part of TOTE Maritime’s ongoing commitment to the people of Puerto Rico to do all that it can to provide relief and recovery support following Hurricane Maria. TOTE Maritime has been working around the clock to respond to the impact of Hurricane Maria since September20th. TOTE Maritime employees on the island have worked every day since the storm hit.
The toy drive was led and supported by the employees of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico as well as TOTE’s employees around the country.
“The Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico has been critical to providing food, community programming and safe spaces for the children of Puerto Rico” noted Eduardo Pagan, TOTE Maritime’s VP and General Manager, Caribbean Services. “We hope that these toys will, in some small way, help families enjoy a bit of this holiday season despite the many challenges that families continue to face.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico will be distributing the toys to families and children on December 21.
Cart at Walmart filled with toys ready to be loaded to a TOTE Maritime ship
Foss Provides Meals and Homes for Hundreds of First Responders in Devastated Puerto Rico
December 20, 2017
SEATTLE, Wash., – From hearty meals to comfortable sleeping quarters for first responders, Foss Maritime has been supporting the relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.
Foss Maritime has been working in conjunction with U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide housing and fresh meals to hundreds of first responders.
In the months since the storms hit in September, Foss has used three accommodation vessels as “floating hotels” for hundreds of workers during the recovery work—including workers from the U.S. Department of Defense, FEMA and AmeriCorps—providing food, comfort and a place to sleep after long shifts. Two Foss vessels served as sleeping quarters, while a third was used for food preparation and support. The ocean-going tugs Lauren Foss and Corbin Foss stood alongside to provide additional support, along with Foss employees and subcontractors who provided catering, laundry and cleaning for relief workers’ rooms.
In addition to caring for responders, Foss also produced around 3,000 boxed meals a day. To help support economic recovery, the meals included local ingredients whenever possible. Bread was purchased from local bakeries and meat and other perishables were sourced from nearby businesses. A local milk delivery company was hired by FEMA to deliver the meals throughout the communities.
“We hear stories everyday about the work that is being done, and what still needs to be done—especially in the mountain regions,” said Mike Lauer, Director of Marine Transportation Project Services for Foss. “We’re happy and proud to be part of these efforts. Most of the responders are working non-stop, 12 hours or more a day, every single day. It’s exhausting work, so Foss has focused on making sure everyone is well-fed and comfortable, with a place to rest.”
Ninety-five percent of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid was destroyed in the storms, with the interior most hard-hit. Ongoing rehabilitation of the island, support for its people and the restoration of its economy will take time, but services are starting to return as workers make progress. Puerto Rico’s main energy ports—Yabucoa, Ponce, Guayanilla, and San Juan—have all reopened for business. Communications are coming back online as are cellular networks. Electrical equipment is being delivered to ports so the extensive damage can be repaired.
“This has been an impressive undertaking,” said Lauer from Ponce, Puerto Rico where he was on-hand to assist in operations. “There are an incredible amount of volunteers, through groups like FEMA Core, AmeriCorps and others that are in the communities every day, knocking on doors, educating people about resources, and providing every kind of aid—even cutting trees out of homes. The thing that has made the largest impression on me is just how much our federal government is doing for Puerto Rico. Honestly, being here and seeing this, it makes me thankful to be an American citizen.”
Although FEMA contracts are wrapping up, Foss will remain in the region to assist as needed through continuing recovery efforts.
TOTE Maritime Partnering with Organizations around Puerto Rico to Provide Relief
November 17, 2017
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Since Hurricane Maria hit on September 20th, TOTE Maritime has delivered more than 17,000 containers of relief and commercial cargo to the island with an additional 2,500 containers scheduled to arrive in the next week. This includes:
- more than 8,000 generators
- more than 4 million gallons of water
- 765,000 bags of ice
In addition to bringing vital goods to the island, TOTE Maritime employees in Puerto Rico have supported more than 20 organizations throughout the island and hosted community events each week to distribute food, fuel, water and other items necessary for day to day life.
Below are some of the main organizations TOTE Maritime has partnered with over the last two months to support diverse and critical relief efforts throughout the island.
Eduardo Pagán, Vice President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, together with Fernando Lloveras, Executive Director of Para la Naturaleza, joined efforts to support more than 800 families in four different areas of the Island: San Cristóbal community in the center town of Barranquitas; the Esperanza community in the north town of Manatí; Punta Pozuelo community in the southeast municipality of Guayama; and the Island of Culebra. Arriving early in the morning, employees gathered to prepare food for the community, and later distributed basic need products, groceries, an ice bag, bottled water boxes and 20,000 gallons of potable water to each family. The consumer goods company Unilever also supported this effort providing various hygiene and cleaning items for all the impacted communities. The collaboration will continue to support the communities until no longer needed.
“As soon as we received the offer from TOTE Maritime, we did not hesitate to add their efforts to the Community Fund Para la Naturaleza, which was created after Hurricanes Irma and María. We will continue to reach the communities most in need – the commitment we have with them is long term. In the first instance, we want to support them in their stabilization process, but beyond that, our interest is to help them create the conditions for stronger and more sustainable communities to emerge,” said Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, President of Para la Naturaleza.”
Para la Naturaleza is an organization that brings together all people who seek a sustainable future for Puerto Rico, facilitates transformative experiences in nature, conserves land of high ecological value, encourages the taking of responsibility for our natural resources and promotes public policy that would result in the protection of these natural resources. After the passage of Hurricane María the organization created the Para la Naturaleza Community Fund to bring aid directly to the communities directly around key ecological areas and support rebuilding efforts.
Centro Tau of the Ricky Martin Foundation
In mid-October, TOTE Maritime delivered containers filled with fuel, stoves and medicine on behalf of Monica Puig and Maria Sharapova who visited the island to distribute these items at the Centro Tau of the Ricky Martin Foundation in the municipality of Loíza.
“I am so thankful for the help that TOTE Maritime has given me with my relief efforts for Puerto Rico. To be able to have the supplies shipped to the island in such a fast, safe and efficient manner means the world to me and enabled to make it possible to hand out all these products to the people that needed it so badly” noted Ms. Puig, a Puerto Rican tennis player and the reigning Olympic champion.
TOTE Maritime has been collaborating with P.E.C.E.S. in the southeast town of Humacao. This organization fosters social, economic, educational development of individuals and communities in social disadvantage. The community received a donation and container transportation of 4,000 bags of ice from TOTE Maritime.
Hogar El Buen Pastor
TOTE Maritime donated meals, water, ice, adult diapers and cleaning and hygiene products in the elderly home El Bueno Pastor located in the city of Guaynabo, and impacting over 50 elderly people.
Elderly Task Force
In partnership with the Government of Puerto Rico, TOTE Maritime donated ground transportation to deliver products donated, such as canned fruits, juices and crackers for elderly around the island. These items were donated by different entities such as by Econo Supermarket, PRS, Mars, Unilever and Welch’s.
TOTE Maritime employees from Jacksonville together with the Hunger Fight Meals organization prepared over 5,000 meal kit. Each meal kit will feed a family of 4 and includes rice and beans, oatmeal and macaroni and cheese. The entity is focus on providing nutritious meals to children and families deemed food insecure and hungry and is partnering with a number of organizations interested in delivering meals to those in Puerto Rico.
TOTE Maritime – Supporting Employees and their families
As part of TOTE Maritime’s efforts to help the Puerto Rican people move forward, the company initially focused on providing basic necessities to each employee and their families including items such as electric generators, propane burners, battery fans and other critical items.
Even though all of TOTE Maritime’s employees in Puerto Rico were significantly impacted by Hurricane Maria, it was TOTE’s employees who identified urgent needs around the island and developed weekly programs for supporting various communities and diverse needs.
Together with its partners, TOTE Maritime is committed to meeting to the immediate needs of the island while also supporting the long-term regeneration of the island’s economy which is critical for the people and communities of Puerto Rico as they adjust to life after Hurricane Maria.
TOTE Maritime has served Puerto Rico and its communities for the last 35 years. With the world’s first liquefied natural gas powered ships serving the market, TOTE Maritime can provide twice weekly deliveries to the island.
TOTE Maritime Prepares for Largest Cargo Week since Maria
November 7, 2017
Largest vessels currently in the trade, partnership with Pasha, and addition of barges combined with best-in-class telematics mean more than 3000 containers will arrive and be distributed this week
Jacksonville, FL – Since Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 19th, TOTE Maritime and its employees have been working around the clock to get relief and commercial goods to the people of Puerto Rico. Certainly, the largest effort is underway in San Juan to ensure the smooth and efficient movement of containers off the ships, onto the terminal and into the communities. However, significant work is also being done on the mainland to maximize the amount of cargo available on the island now that roads and communities are more accessible.
This week in San Juan, TOTE Maritime will receive more than 3000 containers of relief and commercial goods for the island. These containers will arrive in San Juan on one five (5) different assets that TOTE Maritime is utilizing to support the island. This represents more than a 43 percent increase in TOTE’s Maritime’s weekly vessel capacity.
The increase in cargo delivery is a result of the addition of two barges to the TOTE Maritime fleet as well as a partnership between TOTE Maritime, Pasha Hawaii and Crowley Maritime – all Jones Act carriers – to increase goods being delivered to the island.
“TOTE Maritime has been working with a variety of partners to prepare for this increase in capacity” commented Tim Nolan. “For the first few weeks after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico would not have been able to handle more cargo than what we typically deliver to the island. Now that roads are more accessible and relief / rebuilding operations are in full swing we know the island is ready for this increase in goods.”
TOTE Maritime’s schedule for the week is as follows:
- November 6: Pasha’s Horizon Spirit departed Jacksonville for San Juan
- November 7: Columbia Boston (barge) arrived San Juan with 375 containers
- November 8: Isla Bella arrived in San Juan with 1062 containers
- November 10: Charlotte Bridge (barge) scheduled to depart Jacksonville
- November 11: Perla del Caribe scheduled to arrive in San Juan with 1048 containers
TOTE Maritime Increasing Service Offerings to Support Relief and Rebuilding
November 1, 2017
Company focused on ensuring consistent movement of cargo even though equipment is not being returned at normal pace
TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico loads the barge the morning of October 31.
Jacksonville, FL – TOTE Maritime is increasing its service offerings and customer support to meet a growing demand for services as part of the ongoing relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico.
TOTE Maritime is adding two barges to its fleet. The first barge departed from Jacksonville yesterday with 375 FEUs of cargo. The second barge is scheduled to depart early next week and will carry 350 FEUs of cargo.
“The addition of these barges to our service offering will allow us to better support the increasing and changing needs of Puerto Rico as relief, recovery and rebuilding goods are all being shipped to the island” noted Tim Nolan, President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico.
TOTE Maritime has also secured more than 2000 pieces of additional equipment for use in the trade. This is to ensure that cargo can continue to move quickly and efficiently despite the ongoing challenges with equipment availability. The additional equipment includes refrigerated containers, forty foot containers and flat racks for moving items such as utility trucks
Lastly, TOTE Maritime has been extending their gate hours in both San Juan and Jacksonville to support the additional cargo being moved and allow customers extra time to delivery vital relief goods. TOTE has partnered with a variety of other companies to facilitate the transportation of water and other vital goods to the island from its terminal in Jacksonville. These extended gate hours will allow more flexibility and access for all parties.
TOTE Maritime’s Perla del Caribe arrived on Saturday with more than 1090 containers of goods and the Isla Bella is scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning with close to 1100 containers of relief goods and commercial cargo.