Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has donated 18,000kg of fresh food to charities in Barbados.
The food container, which comprised of 18 pallets of fruit and vegetables intended for its ship Braemer, was handed over to authorities in Bridgetown after cancelling its call at the port.
The food has been donated to local charities, including the YWCA, Barbados Homeless Society and The Red Cross, as well as the Salvation Army and St. Dominic’s Catholic Church children’s feeding program.
Managing director Peter Deer said: “We did not want this container of perfectly good fresh produce to go to waste, as there are so many deserving causes in Barbados, and we knew that they could make use of it to benefit a great many local people in these difficult and challenging times.
“We are just happy that we were able to help to make a difference on the island in this small way, and we thank our partners in Barbados for making this happen.”
Chairman of the Barbados Port, senator Lisa Cummins, said: “We very much appreciate this donation and engaged with local partners like the YWCA, who have local feeding programs.
“We have been able to provide food supplies for 130 families and boosted The Red Cross ‘Meals on Wheels Program’, giving valuable support to our most vulnerable families.
“During this crisis, we have had no end of traumatic stories. But we have also had wonderful stories of people helping others in difficult times. This is one of those wonderful stories. Thank you to the Fred. Olsen team on behalf of the Barbados Port and our local communities for making this special donation.”