Turtle Island Supplies $60,000 of Food to Local Families

TURTLE ISLAND SUPPLIES $60,000 OF FOOD TO LOCAL FAMILIES

(July 2020)Turtle Island Resort has delivered over FJ$60,000 worth of essential food supplies to help alleviate food insecurity for over 370 families in its local community. The funds were raised through a GoFundMe page set up by the Island’s management team.

Tourism operators in the region provide the majority of employment for the families in the Nacula tikina. Due to the global COVID-19 travel restrictions, many tourism operators in the area have temporarily closed and with no tourists, inter-island transport costs have increased and have affected access to much needed supplies.

 

After an original donation of FJ$15,000 made to the Island’s Nacula Tikina Covid-19 Food Relief initiative which included fishing and farming equipment as well as food supplies, the resort reached out to its global community to raise additional funds in an effort to further support the struggling local families.

The funds raised were used to provide essential Fijian staple foods such as rice, flour, sugar, biscuits, yeast and baking powder. Deliveries to all the families took place this week by the resort management team and staff.

 

Richard Evanson Jr, Turtle Island’s Managing Director and the son of the founder said, “These supplies are gratefully received and will go a long way in helping our tikina during these challenging times.

I’ve had many families come up to me to say thank you and ask that I share their deepest gratitude to everyone who donated, saying that these food supplies have arrived at a time when it was needed most. We are deeply touched by the support and generosity of our Turtle family, guests and friends from all over the world.”

 

The GoFundMe page received a total of 97 donations which came mostly from past guests of the Island with some choosing to share their memories with their donation. Some of these comments were:

“We were married on Turtle Island 35 years ago. We love beautiful Fiji and the beautiful Fijian people. We want to visit again when this virus is gone. Stay Safe.”

“Turtle Island is magical – but it’s the people there that make it so special. We hope things get back to normal soon.”

“Our Turtle Family and their communities hold a special place in our hearts. We will be back next year. God bless Turtle Island!

Turtle Island has supported its own community during the travel restriction period through their commitment to retaining all their staff. They have remained on the Island tending to the gardens and conducting ongoing maintenance in readiness for the return of their guests.

As soon as the border restrictions are lifted and flights resume, Turtle Island is ready and waiting to welcome back their first guests.

To find out more about Turtle Island visit www.turtlefiji.com

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