AmeriCares and Tupperware Team Up to Help Tsunami Survivors in Sri Lanka and Indonesia

AmeriCares and Tupperware Team Up to Help Tsunami Survivors in Sri Lanka and Indonesia

		In Indonesia, tsunami survivors who have lost all of their possessions are benefiting from donations of Tupperware through the relief agency AmeriCares and its local partners. (PRNewsFoto) STAMFORD, CT USA

STAMFORD, Conn., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- For the thousands of tsunami survivors who lost everything, even the simplest of daily tasks such as food preparation and eating have been difficult. The Tupperware Corporation has responded to these difficulties by teaming up with AmeriCares to provide food storage and serving items for many of those in the worst affected areas. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050502/NYMFNS4 ) Tupperware's donation includes 45,000 "family kits" for those affected by the tsunami. These 22-piece kits include three types of food storage containers, a set of tumblers and four cereal bowls with air and water tight seals. To respond to the urgency of filling these needs in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, Tupperware reallocated production resources for making these containers from other manufacturing facilities to Jakarta and then launched a special production run that focused solely on the relief materials. The family kits were then shipped to distribution points throughout Indonesia and Sri Lanka. "We are very appreciative of Tupperware's timely efforts to help improve the day-to-day lives of the tsunami survivors," said Rachel Granger, vice president of tsunami relief programs for AmeriCares. Over the past two months, the family kits have been distributed throughout Indonesia and Sri Lanka through AmeriCares' partnerships with eight other non- governmental organizations (NGOs), including CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Hope Worldwide, Project Concern International, Transparency International, UNICEF, UNHCR and World Vision. In Indonesia, 5,000 kits were distributed to the residents of Simeuleu Island. This island, located 93 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh, was one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami. More than half of the island's homes -- about 7,500 -- were destroyed and their contents washed away. Fewer than 10 people died, however, since the residents fled to higher ground upon seeing the initial warning signs of the tsunami. Today, the people of Simeuleu Island are using Tupperware's donations to replace the kitchenware that was washed away. "We immediately recognized that our products could be used during all aspects of the disaster from recovery and relief efforts to the rebuilding phase," said Rick Goings, Chairman and CEO of Tupperware Corporation. "In working closely with AmeriCares to identify critical needs, Tupperware offered a practical solution to safely store food products as victims of the tsunami struggled to rebuild their lives." For information on AmeriCares' relief efforts, visit the web site at http://www.americares.org or call AmeriCares directly at 1-800-486-HELP (4357). AmeriCares is a nonprofit humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization that supports long-term medical assistance programs and provides emergency relief in the U.S. and around the world. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has distributed more than $4 billion in humanitarian aid to 137 countries. Tupperware Corporation, a $1.2 billion multinational company, is one of the world's leading direct sellers, supplying premium food storage, preparation and serving items to consumers in almost 100 countries through its Tupperware brand. In partnership with one million independent sales consultants worldwide, Tupperware reaches consumers through informative and entertaining home parties; retail access points in malls and other convenient venues; corporate and sales force Internet web sites; and television shopping. Additionally, premium beauty and skin care products are brought to customers through its BeautiControl brand in North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Consumers can access the brands' web sites at http://www.tupperware.com and http://www.beauticontrol.com . CONTACT: AMERICARES Beth Walsh: 203-658-9578/Ashley Cross: 203-658-9579 Tupperware Corporation Elinor Steele: 407-826-8448/Mark Shamley: 407-826-8755