What started out as a compassionate gesture by student Zaiden Braggs to feed a man he had often seen around the community has now grown into a national drive to deliver 2,500 meals to displaced tourism workers this Christmas.
Called the Xmas Meal Drive, a partnership with Zest Meals, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, and Markus Mueri with NMVentures, has been gaining support in the community and already had local businesses getting involved.
“We know it has been a terrible year for a lot of people, and the fact that many in Cayman won’t be able to enjoy a hot meal around the holidays is a sad reality,” Maureen Cubbon, one of the initiative’s creators and director at Zest Meals, told the Cayman Compass in an email response to queries about the drive.
Deckers, The Wharf, Tukka, The Ritz-Carlton and Cracked Conch/Macabuca will be preparing 2,500 holiday meals to benefit those who have been affected in the tourism industry, and to support Feed Our Future, Meals on Wheels and the Cayman Food Bank.
The first of the meals went out Tuesday for Feed Our Future to distribute throughout schools in Cayman.
“Our tourism industry is devastated, which leaves many who may be too proud to ask for help, at a loss,” she said. “We decided to pull our sleeves up and enlist Markus to assemble the army. To have this coming together in less than two weeks shows that Caymankind is indeed strong.”
Cubbon said the initiative began with a call from her friend Nadine Dumas on 14 Dec., who was telling her about Braggs’ wish to use his allowance to help the man he saw.
At lunch later that day, she said there was “a passionate discussion around how we can help feed people over the holidays. It was agreed we were going to make this happen in time for Christmas.”
Mueri said he was pleased to be part of the initiative, but stressed that there must also be strong government support, especially for local charities providing much needed food assistance.
“It is important that local, charitable, non-for-profit organisations providing essentials to people in need are equally supported by Government and private donations. These organisations support our people in dire need [of] food and shelter. Charities spend most days begging for contributions instead of helping people… ,” Mueri said in his emailed response to the Compass about the initiative.
He pointed out that the last nine months clearly showed that many in Cayman are struggling to survive.
“Government should step up and contribute equal funds to [match] private donations. Together, we can do a better job,” Mueri said.
Cubbon posted on her Facebook page that Progressive Distributors Ltd., Foster’s Supermarket and Island Supply Cayman Islands have donated 1,500 meals between them.
Tortuga Rum Cake Company has donated over 1,700 rum cakes, Blackbeard’s Liquor has donated 1,800 juices, and Kirk Market has also supported the drive with grocery gift cards.
Two private donors have stepped up to cover the outstanding costs needed to make the Holiday Meal Drive a complete success, Cubbon added, saying it has allowed the group to hit the goal of 2,500 meals for Cayman.
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