WASHINGTON, DC. – On a three-hour train ride that started on the early cold morning of December 12th, the Batey Relief Alliance’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard, left his Brooklyn base at 3:00am to arrive on time at the New York’s Penn Station to catch the Amtrak train at 5:30am bound for Washington DC with one goal in mind – seek the support of United States Representatives and agencies for more food for those who are very hungry and sick in the Dominican Republic’s impoverished batey and urban/rural communities.

The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA Dominicana) received a grant of $272,800 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to distribute 75 metric tons of food to more than 5,000 at-risk individuals who are severely affected by disease, poverty and hunger, including people living with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis sufferers, orphaned/vulnerable children, pregnant women and the elderly. Local partner groups helped BRA distribute the food in their own HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, including the Dominican’s Presidential AIDS Council (COPRESIDA) and General Directorate for the Control of Sexually transmitted Infections and AIDS (DIGECITTS), the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, etc.

The problem is the program grant, under the USAID’s Title II International Food Relief Program-Food for Peace, is only for one year and if not renewed for at least another two years, the lives of these disenfranchised people will be at stake, particularly those receiving antiretroviral treatment and potent medicines to fight opportunistic infections.

Before returning back to New York the same day on another three-hour train ride at 6:10pm, Gaillard crammed up six different meetings with representatives at the offices of Senator Hillary Clinton, Brooklyn’s Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, USAID, and other organizations that are involved in the production and distribution of food in impoverished regions of the world. “I am very pleased by the positive response and offer of support from Senator Clinton and Congresswoman Clarke,” said Gaillard.

The USAID encouraged Gaillard to submit another proposal to the agency in January seeking more funding for the food program. If approved, many lives will continue to be saved. If not approved, Gaillard plans on going back to Washington and lobby more.
The journey ended, for now, with Gaillard arriving home on the 12th at 11:15 pm after having to wait and wait for local trains to take him back to Brooklyn, and then a cab home to sleep.

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