Archbishop Dionisio Garcia of Santiago de Cuba made a significant visit to West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, aiming to gather much-needed aid for families in Cuba. The island nation is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis marked by shortages of power, food, and medicine.

Community Support in West Palm Beach

The archbishop’s visit was part of the Diocese of Palm Beach’s Helping Hands to Cuba initiative, which has been actively collecting supplies over the past two weeks. This initiative has seen a remarkable response from the local community, with Catholic Charities gathering approximately $50,000 worth of essential supplies, including food and medicine.

Ellen Wayne, CEO of Catholic Charities, highlighted the diverse contributions from the community, noting, “We’ve seen people come with one or two bags of rice because that’s what they could afford to do. And we’ve seen folks come with truckloads and significant amounts of supplies.”

Faith in Action

Marietta Muina McNulty, a board member of Catholic Charities, emphasized the faith-driven motivation behind the initiative, stating, “We need to help the people and give assistance and do God’s work.” This sentiment was echoed by Archbishop Garcia, who plans to personally deliver the supplies to ensure they reach those in need.

Wayne further explained the broader mission of the initiative, “This was really an opportunity for us to show solidarity, recognize the suffering of people who are not very far from us, and really respond to that message of our faith, which is love your neighbor.”

Catholic Charities intends to continue its collection efforts throughout the summer, accepting donations both in person and online, to provide ongoing support to the Cuban people.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.