"Within 12 hours after the news on Hurricane Katrina broke, companies were calling us offering to help," said Howard Schiffer, president of the Vitamin Angel Alliance, which is consolidating vitamin products and working closely with relief organizations, churches and emergency personnel to deliver them to the refugees.
Even so, Schiffer told NutraIngredients-USA.com that donations are running slower than they did during the week following the tsunami which devastated parts of Asia last December, despite the disaster hitting American on home soil.
He was not yet able to provide a count on the supplements received so far but expects to release more details on the industry's efforts later this week.
Those companies that have stepped forward include NOW Foods, Nutri-Force Nutrition, Pharmachem Laboratories, Hero Nutritionals, Rainbow Light Nutrient Systems, Healthy Horizons, Mason Vitamins and Pro Health. But many other key industry players have yet to make donations or pledges.
The most useful products in this situation are multiple vitamins for adults and chewable vitamins for children, as well as financial contributions towards the logistics of delivering products to those who need them most.
Although the initial danger of the hurricane itself is over, those who have spent days in unsanitary conditions or have been forced to leave their homes face longer-term consequences, including the possibility of malnutrition and infection.
Vitamin Angels' warehouse is located about an hour and a half from the Astrodome, and supplements started reaching FEMA Specialty Needs Centers in Louisiana last week.
"Right now we're assessing needs as they come in," said Schiffer. "As always Vitamin Angels is trying to reach the people that no one else is covering. In Central Louisiana there are over 30,000 refugees that are being housed in small towns in every available space from school gyms to churches. We will be trucking supplements into Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama."
The National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) is helping the industry to look after its own with the creation of the NNFA Retailer Relief Fund. Channeled through the Natural Products Foundation in order to be tax deductible, 100 percent of donations will go to the relief agencies or retail stores.
If those making donations prefer for them to be used to help affected individuals, they can be designated for the American Red Cross or Salvation Army's hurricane relief funds.
"We want to do everything we can to help the victims who have suffered from the devastation of Katrina, whether they're everyday citizens or fellow natural products businesses," said David Seckman, executive director and CEO.
Contributions to the NNFA Retailer Relief Fund will go directly toward helping NNFA member retailers who sustained damage due to Hurricane Katrina. The regional and national offices are identifying retailers that need assistance, but because power and telephone lines are down in many areas they are experiencing some difficulties.
Ingredients supplier BASF Corporation announced yesterday that it is donating $1 million in aid to the relief efforts. It is also providing short-term financial aid for the immediate needs of BASF employees seriously impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and allowing employees in the affected states to volunteer to help those in need on company time.
One business that has signaled its operations are unaffected by the disaster is ingredient supplier The Wright Group, whose facility is over a hundred miles northwest of New Orleans.
"Although Wright has backup manufacturing facilities in place in the event of emergency, our facility did not experience any manufacturing delays or shutdowns related to the storm," said Sam Wright, president and CEO.
Retailers affected by the hurricane, or anyone that knows of affected retailers, are encouraged to get in touch with the NNFA's Carylene Reed (800 828-7250 for Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia) or Dale Power-Wells (517 575-0119 for Louisiana).
Donations can be sent to Natural Products Foundation, c/o NNFA, 2112 E. Fourth St., Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705, Attn: Retailer Relief. Tel: (202) 223-0101.