When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the Houston food bank put out a list of most needed items for people to donate. On the list were foods like granola bars, peanut butter, protein in easy to open pouches or pull-top cans like tuna and canned chicken, as well as ready to eat canned items with pull-tops like fruit. Presumably, they were thinking that in a natural disaster people need food that is calorie and protein rich for maintaining energy. They also need food that is not too salty so as to make people thirsty (remember, access to clean drinking water can be an issue in these circumstances) and food that people will actually want to eat.
This is worth noting—particularly because the exact opposite has been happening in Puerto Rico. While individuals and organizations have been trying to get all kinds of desperately needed food and supplies to the hurricane ravaged island, one company seems to think that any old junk food will do.
When families in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico asked for food, a Georgia company answered the call with candy bars.
Baby Ruths, to be exact. Also fruity Airheads candies. Cheez-Its and pop-top tins of barbecue flavored potted meat came on the side. [...]
Government contractor LongBranch Partners, LLC, which is stamped in red on the box with a location in Ellijay, 80 miles north of Atlanta, has been subject to particular scorn.
The scorn is well-deserved. There is absolutely no nutritional value in any of these items whatsoever. In fact, they could actually make people sick. Take a look:
Nothing says “we could care less” than sending people in crisis who are without power, drinking water and food, a random care package of salty processed crackers, candy bars, faux meat and a fruit-flavored rubbery chew. It would literally be better to send nothing.
FEMA seems to have an excuse for it, though. These are supposed to be “snacks” for needy Puerto Ricans. Okay, let’s go with that for a minute. Sure, sending snacks makes sense. Snacks like granola bars and fruit. Why these particular snacks? Especially since they are the nutritional equivalent to feed slop. Sadly, we already know the answer—the government doesn’t care and isn’t taking this seriously and neither does LongBranch Partners.
FEMA spokesperson Ron Roth said in a written statement that the box’s contents are a “snack pack” and not meant to replace a full meal. “Meal module” is LongBranch’s terminology, not FEMA’s, he said.
“We have cancelled future orders for these packs and the remaining inventory will be distributed to the portion of the survivor population that can use the snacks effectively,” Roth said. [...]
FEMA food contracts call for meals that provide starch, vegetables, and protein and total more than 700 calories, Roth said. They are supposed to be “culturally appropriate” for Puerto Rico and include utensils. The label on [the LongBranch] box said it contained 12 servings each of entrees, starches, fruits and deserts, according to a photo.
This is yet another epic fail. It’s repugnant but also deeply offensive and sad. How many meal packages like this were sent to Texas and Florida after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma? Likely none. Since the government seems to have zero acceptable answers for how all of this is possible, let’s just ask this one last thing. How many more ways can this government demonstrate to the people of Puerto Rico that it doesn’t care about them? FEMA can save its money. There’s no need to hire contractors to send these types of food aid packages anymore. The people of Puerto Rico, and we, already get the message—loud and clear.
