1,000 lbs of Goods Shipped.
WITH the support of JetBLue, Overseas Sons and Daughters of St. Lucia (OSADS) and the Dominica Relief Dallas, TOCO Foundation has made good on its promise to continue its mobilization to support the Dominica relief effort..
Another care-package shipment has been dispatched to the island to sustain the flow of relief to families and communities whose living situation has been severely impacted by tropical storm Erika in late August this year. This past week approximately 1,000 pounds of domestic goods were shipped from Frisco, Texas, which include 42 boxes of clothing, canned goods, medical supplies and shoes.
This shipment follows a previous dispatch in September of a shipment of 1,500 pairs of shoes with the promise of more to follow.
TOCO, which stands for They Often Cry Outreach, is the philanthropic foundation established by Saint Lucia-born, Recording Artiste and UNICEF Youth Ambassador Taj Weekes, who had high praise for the fervour of partners OSADS and Dominica Relief Dallas and the responsiveness of Jet Blue.
Weekes said: “The collaboration between the partners is poetic because it embodies the sense of community and neighbourliness that makes the post disaster existence bearable for those left to cope. So if there is an example there for other organisations to get together to do more, it’s a blessing on too of a blessing”.
They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO) is a U.S. based, not-for profit organization with a mission to raise awareness and address the issues that affect Caribbean youth through comprehensive projects and initiatives on every island in the Caribbean. TOCO’s projects range from after school sports programmes, a diabetes awareness initiative, a domestic violence awareness campaign, and artistic programmes.
Weekes’ humanitarian work has been a staple of his celebrity, using every opportunity to serve and speak on behalf of the children of the Caribbean. He personally travels and distributes donated items to the islands, lectures to high school and college students on topics ranging from volunteerism to acceptance and tolerance, and donates his own money to ensure that TOCO can fulfil its missions. His efforts are at the core of TOCO’s success and in recognition for his work, Weekes was named a Goodwill Ambassador by the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals in 2007 and by a division of the United Nations.
In 2012, he received a humanitarian award from the St. Lucia government for his work through TOCO.
