OPEN LETTER

By Weekly Archive On Sep 10, 2008

September
11, 2008 Read Spanish Version

Dear
friends and colleagues:

As you
are all aware by now the destruction caused by Hurricanes Gustav and
Ike in Cuba has been devastating.

We
believe the moment calls for action NOW. It is the reason for this
letter. Different organizations and politicians have called for a
moratorium of current travel and remittance restrictions to the
island. We wholeheartedly support such an initiative. But knowing
the mindset of the current administration, and being realistic about
election year politics, we do not envision any sort of positive
change in the current restrictions that could help the Cuban people.

So we
urge you to choose the most sensible, most direct and most effective
way to help and that is to contribute monetarily using tax exempt
donations to any of these humanitarian agencies:

JEWISH
SOLIDARITY, a 501.C.3 not
for profit organization with a license to secure donations for Cuba
relief. You can send your donation check to: JEWISH SOLIDARITY,
attention: Maricusa, 100 Beacom Boulevard, Miami, FL 33135. Check
should be marked “humanitarian relief”.

CATHOLIC
CHARITIES/Caritas Cubanas,
a not for profit agency of the Catholic Church who also holds a
license to provide aid to Cuba. Checks should be made out to Catholic
Relief Services and sent to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090,
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. Checks should be marked: “For Cuba
Relief”.

For
those of you in the Miami area who would prefer to take food items in
lieu of a check donation, you can do so by taking these to The
Daughters of Charity at 500 NW 63 Avenue in Miami.
They also have a license to send aid to Cuba and are sending two
containers in the next few days. Items they have expressed a desire
in getting are: powdered milk, evaporated milk, canned little hot
dogs, lentils in packages, black and red beans in packages.

WE
BELIEVE THESE ARE THE FASTEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HELP NOW.
RECIPIENTS WILL BE THE PEOPLE OF CUBA AND IN NO WAY WILL THE
DONATIONS BE RESTRICTED DUE TO RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION.

THE
LARGER NEED TO FUNDAMENTALLY OVERHAUL U.S. POLICY REMAINS. BUT THE
MOMENT CALLS FOR URGENT HELP.

Thank
you.

Progreso
Weekly