Firestone Natural Rubber Extends Cargo Donation Programme

The cargo donation programme operated by the Firestone Natural Rubber Company will be extended through 2009, the company announced on November 7. Through the programme, intended to help rebuild Liberia after its 14-year civil war, Firestone provides space on its ships for relief goods and other donated cargo from US-based charitable organisations. Since 2006, when the cargo donation programme was formalised, more than 60 shipments have fulfilled the programme’s approval requirement and been scheduled for shipping to the port of Monrovia. Fifteen 20-foot containers of medicine, food, generators, building materials and other supplies have been shipped so far this year, with several more scheduled for late 2008.

“Week after week we receive new applications from charitable organisations wanting to help the people of Liberia,” said Dan Adomitis, president of Firestone Natural Rubber Company. “Their generosity combined with Liberia’s need for humanitarian aid has convinced us here at Firestone that this programme will continue to have a great impact over the coming year.”

One shipment this year, sent by Indianapolis, Indiana-based College Park Church, included plastic pipe and water pumps being used at Bethesda Christian Mission School in Monrovia. “With Firestone, you have confidence that your shipment will arrive in a timely manner and in good shape,” said Ardie Bucher, a church member who has travelled to Liberia three times since the organisation began shipping containers annually in 2005. “It is a great programme.”

Cargo space is available to qualified charitable organisations with the ocean freight expense covered by Firestone. Under the programme, each Firestone ship en route from Baltimore, Maryland, to the port of Monrovia in Liberia will reserve several containers’ worth of space for relief goods and other donated cargo. Firestone accepts containers of non-perishable foods, medical supplies, new and used clothing, schoolbooks and other relief goods and delivers them to Liberia on behalf of the donor charity.