HUMANITARIAN GROUP WILL DELIVER BOOKS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS & HOSPITALS IN CUBA
Senator Barrios Leads 7th Delegation of Massachusetts Residents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE CONTACT
Friday, February 2, 2007 Oswald Mondejar
617-726-5741
Michael Bloom
Office of Senator Jarrett Barrios
617-722-1650

BOSTON, MA – On Saturday, February 3, 2007, State Senator Jarrett Barrios, Oswald “Oz” Mondejar, the Vice-President of Human Resources of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Dr. Donna Perry of Massachusetts General Hospital will lead the seventh annual ACCESO humanitarian mission to Cuba. ACCESO—Americans and Cubans building Community through Exchanges Support and Outreach—remains one of the few humanitarian organizations still licensed by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control. Its 8-member delegation will continue its work providing material support for children with disabilities, rural libraries and Catholic Charities programs. The delegation composed of health care professionals, educators, business and civic leaders will bring its message of friendship, hope and help to Cuba.

"Our goal is to build bridges between people between the United States and Cuba through humanitarian assistance. After over forty years of estrangement from our families, this is overdue," said Mondejar. Barrios and Mondejar, both Cuban-Americans with family in Cuba, have personal reasons for wanting to reach out to the Cuban people. Barrios’ family is from Bejucal, Cuba and his cousin is the town’s librarian. “In 1998, I saw first-hand the critical shortage of usable books. The thousands of children’s books and medical textbooks we have shipped to Cuban libraries have made a material difference in the lives of Cuban people.”

This year the delegation, thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses and organizations, is sending hundreds of children’s books in Spanish to libraries in Cuba and delivering equipment for the visually impaired.

The delegation is fully licensed and traveling legally to Cuba. The mission will last 6 days and all delegates pay their own way to attend. Senator Barrios will be chronicling the work of the mission on his blog with daily entries in Spanish and English. http://www.barriosblog.typepad.com/barriosblog/.

 

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