Cardi's Furniture, Partners Fill 7 Tractor Trailers for Typhoon Relief

December 3, 2013  by in Community / Charitable Support, Industry   

The retailer and the moving company teamed with CaroTrans and the Filipino-American Association of Newport County to collect bottled water, canned goods, dry non-perishables and diapers at five Cardi's locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Customers and supporters came out Sunday morning and participated in a “drive-thru” style donation event.  Volunteers, including the 2013 RI State Police Training Academy Class, unloaded hundreds of vehicles, organized the items on pallets, and filled the seven Arpin tractor-trailers. The items will be loaded into containers and shipped to distribution points in the Philippines.

“We start receiving calls hours after major disasters happen from customers asking us what we will be doing," said Nick, Ron and Peter Cardi. "They want to help out in a tangible way. Our locations serve as the drop-off points and we get the message out."

Cardi’s and Arpin have teamed up for massive drives in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005), Haiti Earthquake (2010), Hurricane Sandy (2012), and the Oklahoma Tornados (2013).

“Arpin Group is happy to donate all the trailers and transportation, as well as coordinate all aspects of logistics and deliver relief supplies to the affected areas," said Peter Arpin of the Arpin Group.

Members from Filipino-American Association of Newport County met with Cardi’s Nov. 12 to provide contact info of locations in the Philippines as well as to see what they could do to help facilitate a relief drive. 

“The Filipino-American group of Newport Rhode Island  Is so proud to be part of this generous relief drive," said Chet Gotauco, president of the group. "When the typhoon struck our families we felt pretty helpless. Through the generous efforts of Cardi’s and Arpin, our community can stand tall and make a difference in helping the victims of typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

The collected items are now in transit to the areas affected by the typhoon and should arrive by mid to late December.