Producing results: P.E.I. farmers send food to U.S. to help victims of Hurricane Irma

P.E.I. produce made its way down the east coast to the southern U.S. to help people affected by Hurricane Irma.

A shipment of potatoes, carrots and turnips arrived Monday in Thomasville, Ga.,at a Second Harvest of South Georgia food distribution centre.

Eliza McCall,chiefmarketing officer with the organization, said the donation was a first of sorts for her.

"We were so appreciative," McCall said.

"It's always wonderful to get donations, but for us to get an international donation is something that I've never seen before and it was really heartwarming for us."

'Bolsters their spirit'

The food will go from the distribution centre, where it is being housed right now, to four or five Feeding America affiliate food banks in south Florida, McCall said.

Continuing to help them in the weeks and months to come is going to be important.-ElizaMcCall

Those food banks will pass the food on to their partner agencies, and in some cases set up mobile food pantries, loading the food into vehicles and bringing it into communities in need.

The support is important because people in the area may be struggling to eat well, McCall said, but it also provides a psychological boost.

"Even something as simple as a meal or food that somebody gives, that somebody provides to somebody who's been through a trauma like this, it really bolsters their spirit," she said.

"They know that somebody cares about them, and it's one more thing that they do not have to worry about when they've got so much else to worry about at this point."

'So grateful'

McCall said the timing of the delivery is ideal, even though the storm is long gone.

"The fact that these donations don't come within the first few days is great because a lot of times people get forgotten at this point," she said.

"Continuing to help them in the weeks and months to come is going to be important."

A Georgia man who runs a farming operation on the Island helped connect P.E.I. farmers with the food bank in Georgia, when he heard his Island colleagues wanted to help.

McCall said she has worked in similar circumstances before and the sentiment from her, and all those needing support, is the same.

"Every time we have been fortunate enough to help in a disaster-relief situation everyone is just so blessed and so grateful," she said.

"I know that they would agree with me, and they would want me to convey their gratitude to P.E.I. in making this happen."

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