Subud California at Walnut Creek’s initiative to send food to the Caracas Subud Center in Venezuela has shown that a small group can have a big impact. They are now raising funds for another shipment, as described in this letter from Henrietta Haines:
Dear Brothers and Sisters
I wanted to let you all know we are about to send a second shipment of food to Venezuela, which continues to experience extreme food shortages. Subud members there are suffering from the inability to afford the food available on the black market. The Walnut Creek Center collected money to send the first shipment of food to the Subud Caracas (read the story here). When the food arrived Caracas, the group held a Salamatan to celebrate the kindness of the brothers and sisters in California.
At the Regional Congress, members were able to meet Walnut Creek’s newest member, Trina, who is from Caracas. Many were moved by her situation, and made donations toward a 2nd shipment (read the story here.)
As with the first shipment, we are sending over 500 pounds of rice, beans and corn flour, to be distributed to 22 families in 4 centers and also 3 isolated members. We buy it online and it is shipped from Miami to Venezuela by ocean freighter. Because we are shipping only food, the transportation company gives us a deeply discounted rate. We are so grateful to them.
We are now planning a 3rd shipment which we hope to send in time for Christmas. Because it takes about a month to get from Miami to Caracas we will have to send it mid-November. We are hoping to send a few festive food items in this shipment to make Christmas a bit more Merry and Bright.
If you would like to contribute, please join us in what may be our final shipment. Checks should be made out to Subud Walnut Creek and sent to Rahima Warren, 3270 Theresa Lane Lafayette, CA 94549.
For the Venezuela Food Project
Henrietta Haines