Mission of Hope overcomes meal shortage crisis Cost Of Ripple Mattress

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Mission of Hope overcomes meal shortage crisis

NICARAGUA: With shipment stuck in customs, nonprofit thinks outside the box; also sending disaster aid to Puerto Rico

PERU — It seemed North Country Mission of Hope’s food stores in Nicaragua were going to run out by July’s end.

But the practice of networking with other nonprofits in the Central American country paid off when one of them responded to a plea from Mission of Hope grantwriter Carol Herring.

“We bought two containers (of meals) from them,” mission Executive Director Sister Debbie Blow said. “That’s enough food through the end of the year.”

Those 580,000 meals will feed 6,000 children in feeding programs set up at poor schools by Mission of Hope, paid for with about $14,000 left to the organization by an estate earmarked for emergency purposes.

That was very good news indeed, since insurrection in Nicaragua has only worsened in recent weeks, and the government is not letting in shipments with connections to the Catholic Church.

“We have a food container stuck in customs right now,” Blow said.

Mission of Hope works closely with Catholic relief organization Caritas.

“Our clinics operate under the umbrella of Caritas,” the Dominican Sister of Hope said. “Our containers come in through Caritas National.”

Recently, President Daniel Ortega and his government passed a law criminalizing the protests and “money laundering,” according to

Labeling protests as terrorism, it includes punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

“Opposition legislator Jimmy Blandon warned that this law seeks to regulate, supervise and control the nonprofit organizations, especially religious,” the report said.

Earlier this summer, a building owned by Caritas was burned to the ground.

The Ortega government’s position is that protesters torched the facility, but Blow believes the reverse is true.

“It’s very hurtful and alarming at the same time,” she said.

And in July, Catholic church leaders were attacked when they sought to rescue protesters barricaded in a basilica against government forces.

Hundreds have died in the four months since the unrest was sparked after Ortega enacted social security reform requiring increased contributions from employers and employees and reduced pensions for retired workers.

He rescinded the order, but the movement only grew as people demanded democratization of the government. 

Mission of Hope leaders are now cautious as they talk about the situation in the country where they have brought help for two decades now.

Blow deliberately didn’t name the organization that is providing the meals.

“We won’t name people because we’re not sure how the government is tracking online stuff.”

Around this time of year, a group of Mission of Hope volunteers would have just concluded the summer trip to Nicaragua, where they would have built home shelters, put on a health fair, sent teams into the poorest barrios with rice and beans for families and medical outreach, among numerous other efforts.

Most regular functions of the mission are continuing, though, Blow said, including the meal programs at schools and medical clinics.

But blockades are in place on roadways, manned by protesters who are passively attempting to get the Ortega government to make changes.

The negative side of that, the mission’s executive director said, is truckloads of food and other necessities aren’t getting through.

That includes the water filters Mission of Hope provides so people can drink clean, safe water.

Then the government is stopping containers from coming in.

“It’s a double hit for the poor,” Blow said.

“You’re going to see a ripple effect on people’s health.”

In the meantime, Mission of Hope is getting its ducks in a row to send shipping containers of emergency supplies and equipment to Puerto Rico, where recovery from Hurricane Maria has moved at a snail’s pace in many areas.

The organization is working through nonprofits on the ground in Puerto Rico, including Caritas.

“We’re waiting for our final sign off on what specific disaster items they want,” Blow said. 

She expects to be shipping out clothing, medical supplies and other items, perhaps even hospital beds and mattresses.

“We’re going to need all hands on deck when we get the final sign off,” she said.

They will be sorting through the packed Mission of Hope warehouse in Peru and a shipping container parked there to pull out needed supplies and re-tag them for Puerto Rico.

The support for shifting focus in this fashion, Blow said, has been incredible.

The shipping costs will be covered by funds that had been slated for the suspended Nicaragua shipments, she noted.

Blow encouraged continued financial support for Mission of Hope’s Nicaragua projects and assistance for the newest effort.

“We don’t ship unless we have an agent on the ground to handle that shipment,” she emphasized, thinking of disaster relief deliveries left rotting and sold on the black market after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

“We don’t ship unless we’re sure.”

The Mission of Hope Golf Classic, set for Friday, Aug. 10, at the Barracks Golf Course in Plattsburgh, still has openings for the two-person scramble with handicap divisions for women, men and mixed.

Entry includes contests, unique prizes, Nicaraguan hand-crafted items, all-you-can eat michigans and more buffet (non-players, $10).

individual golfers/Barracks members; $75 Cost Of Ripple Mattress , individual golfers/Barracks members; $75, non-members.

All proceeds go to the mission's Children Feeding Children Program.

can be mailed to: Mission of Hope, 3452 Route 22, Peru, NY 12972. 

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