On August 11, employees from the Hopkinton Board of Health distributed shoes, socks, clothing, toiletries and other essentials to refugees housed in Northborough and Southborough. Reportedly most of the refugees are of Haitian decent. Massachusetts is home to the third-largest Haitian diaspora in the United States.
Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has suffered a series of devastating natural disasters in recent years. The recovery effort has led to the growth of rival gangs and rampant political corruption. The United Nations recently stated that “Haiti is descending into a catastrophic spiral of violence” and urged its member states to act quickly.
The Hopkinton BOH received the goods from Project Just Because, several Hopkinton residents, and its own staff.
“We were glad to assist,” said BOH Director Shaun McAuliffe. “There were many grateful folks.”
Will the Board of Health be continuing this and are there way for Hopkinton residents to participate?
We are working with the City of Framingham to assess their needs. I will post a notice to the local media outlets as soon as I have a list.