Help Distant Food Allergy Families in the Phillipines

I received the following information from Heather at Peanut Free Planet. Please take a look. If you are fortunate enough to be able to donate, please consider this good cause!

From Peanut Free Planet:
We will be having a food drive Thursday and Friday of this week. Customers who wish to donate products can purchase them on our site and we will cover the shipping to the consolidation warehouse. Individuals are also welcome to send commercially packaged donations directly to the address below....They would like to have the product at the consolidation warehouse by the end of January.

Shipping Location (parcels or pallets)

American Classic Self Storage

ATTN Montero Medical Missions for Philippines

          1608 Centerville Turnpike

          Virginia Beach, Virginia 23464

          Ph. # 757-420-7676 (Roy or Karen)

 

Coordinate pallet shipping with the following contacts      

 

COL(R) James W. Ireland

Vice President

Montero Medical Missions

ji315@aol.com

 

Dr. Juan Montero

President / Founder

Montero Medical Missions

acedocjmm@aol.com

 

PRESS RELEASE

Food for the Philippines! 

Dr. Lucy Gibney and Peanut Free Planet are partnering with a non-profit international medical effort bringing relief supplies to the people of the Philippines.  The effort, which includes food and hospital supplies, is supporting those most affected by super-typhoon Haiyan.  The Philippines Secretary of Health, Dr. Enrique Ona, will direct the supplies where they are most needed.  Shipment is planned for late January.

“We’re inviting individuals to participate in the mission by hosting a donation event via the PFP Facebook page January 23 through 26^th, we’ve asked other allergy friendly food brands to participate in the mission,” said Heather Selwa, Founder and CEO of Peanut Free Planet.

The medical group involved is Montero Medical Missions, a non-profit organization committed to recruiting expatriate physicians and allied health professionals in the United States to get involved in medical missions in their respective countries of origin.  Dr. Juan M. Montero II, who is an expatriate from the Philippines, has been involved in partnerships with Physicians for Peace, Rotarians and Lions organizations.  

Dr. Montero is a personal friend of Dr. Lucy and has been a mentor to her throughout her career in medicine.  “His service to the local community and the international community is unsurpassed.  Dr. Montero is a passionate leader with a great big heart”, said Dr. Lucy. “He understands the needs of people in a very practical way, and he is passionate in his actions to make a difference.”  Besides the important mission underway for the Philippines, Dr. Montero is the founder of a local medical and dental clinic helping uninsured citizens gain access to care.  The organization he founded in 1992, last year provided the equivalent of more than $10 million in health care to local citizens.

Upon learning of the tragic conditions in the Philippines, Dr. Lucy referred back to a 2011 effort for relief to Japan, after the tsunami there.  Dr. Lucy’s company proudly employs more than 20 local Filipino-Americans who are dedicated and excellent staff members.  She knew that they would want to help, also.  This special link to the country and her connection with Dr. Montero were just the right elements for moving into action.

On an even more personal note, service to this beautiful island nation in the Pacific has an important role in Dr. Lucy’s personal family story.  A few weeks after marrying her Mother in 1945, Dr. Lucy’s Father shipped out with the U.S. Army for a year in the Philippines. Though WWII ended during his voyage there, Sgt Allan Blackford spent a year in Nueva Viscaya on the island of Luzon managing food warehouses for American and Filipinos troops in the area.  During this he also provided food for local missionaries who were serving the people there.  It was a troubled time in the weeks and months after the war.  Food was scarce and conditions were dangerous still.  The experience and the people he came to know, made the Philippines a special place for Sgt Blackford and his family.  “Throughout his life, my Dad always found a way to help others.  I think the special experience in Luzon deepened this drive in him.  He truly understood the importance of getting involved,” said Dr. Lucy.

The food supplies being gathered are intended for shelters serving people with food allergies and special diets.  “Though this is a relatively small food relief effort, we are happy to help in any way we can,” said Dr. Lucy.