Volunteers from Cáritas Santa Clara, religious sisters, and the parish priest Andy Acosta began direct distribution of food and hygiene items on Friday in homes in Quemado de Güines and Rancho Veloz, in the northern region of Villa Clara, after receiving the first shipment of humanitarian aid sent by the U.S. government to that diocese.
The shipment contains 700 food modules and 700 hygiene product modules. It landed on Thursday at the "Abel Santamaría" airport in Santa Clara and was immediately transported to Quemado de Güines, where it was secured inside the La Purísima Concepción temple, which has been repurposed as a charitable storage facility.
The images released by Cáritas show the church's main aisle completely filled with hundreds of cardboard boxes labeled with the American flag, while volunteers transport them on foot along dirt paths to humble homes in rural areas.
Each food module includes rice, beans, vegetable oil, brown sugar, pasta, sardines, and tuna. The hygiene packages contain solar lamps, water purification tablets, soap, detergent, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, among other essential items.
The distribution prioritizes older adults living alone, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with disabilities, children under the age of five in vulnerable situations, and single mothers with young children.
Cáritas acknowledged that the aid will not be sufficient to meet the beneficiaries' needs for long, but emphasized the gratitude of those receiving it.
"The harsh reality faced by many of those receiving aid from the U.S. government contrasts with the heartfelt welcome they extend to those who arrive at their humble homes."
This shipment is part of the $100 million humanitarian aid package announced by the United States for Cuba, which is being distributed through Cáritas Cuba and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), without the involvement of the Cuban regime.
Of that total, 60 million is channeled through the Catholic Church and 40 million through trusted independent non-governmental organizations.
The arrival in Villa Clara represents the expansion of the program to the central region of the country, after the initial deliveries took place in July in Bejucal and Alquízar, in the province of Havana.
The first humanitarian flight departed from Miami on July 21 carrying 18 tons of supplies, and U.S. Ambassador Mike Hammer has personally overseen the process, visiting beneficiary families and reporting progress to Congress and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The declared goal of the program is to reach between 100,000 and 120,000 Cuban families across the country. Cáritas Santa Clara concluded its statement with a quote from Saint Teresa of Calcutta that captures the spirit of the mission: "Sometimes we feel that what we do is just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less if it lacked a drop."
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