San Antonio and Dallas, TX, Nov. 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and its over 200 member Hispanic Chambers throughout the United States has joined forces with FORMEXICO!, an organization established to offer assistance to Mexico following 3 major earthquakes last month. The earthquakes, ranging in force from 8.2 to 6.1 on the Richter scale, inflicted severe damage in large areas of central and southern Mexico. One of the areas most affected by the earthquakes is the State of Chiapas where over 9000 homes were destroyed and another 50,000 homes damaged.
FORMEXICO!, with initial support from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC), the oldest and largest Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the United States, instantly assisted in airlifting much needed food staples and supplies to Chiapas. They also quickly made available an existing Mexico City 24/7 call center free of charge to Chiapas residents in need of immediate psychological and medical assistance.
“Without hesitation we placed the full weight of our organization behind this early effort of emergency assistance.” said Ramiro Cavazos, President of SAHCC. “The Chiapas area, located in far southern Mexico, was in dire need of immediate help, and we felt a strong responsibility to put together an immediate response, and to request the involvement of our parent organization, the USHCC.”
Providing a national scope, the USHCC immediately agreed to join forces with FORMEXICO! to assist families most in need in the replacing of their homes. This effort centers around the rebuilding of structures costing $9000 USD in the Chiapas communities most in need. Funds will also be raised to purchase early detection seismic sensors for installation in approximately 2000 schools and hospitals.
Javier Palomarez, USHCC President & CEO, added, “We have always been an organization that believes in commerce with a conscience, and that the United States and Mexico share far more than a border. We are delighted to join this important assistance effort to an area of Mexico most in need. We are asking each of our member chambers, business organizations, and corporate partners to join us in sponsoring one family by raising the funds necessary to rebuild one home.”
FORMEXICO! is an organization established for this exact purpose by long-time Mexico residents and businessmen George Kauss and Hector Navarrete. “It was simply unreasonable to not get involved and do what we could to help this beautiful yet extremely marginalized area of Mexico that was devastated by 3 earthquakes”, said George Kauss. “The Civil Protection authorities in Chiapas have offered an amazingly organized support structure for our effort that is geared towards reaching those families most in need.” With the help of USHCC, its members and corporate supporters, we can make a real difference in Chiapas”.
About USHCC
The USHCC actively promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 4.4 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that combined, contribute over $700 billion to the American economy every year. It also advocates on behalf of 260 major American corporations and serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide. For more information, visit ushcc.com. Follow us on Twitter @USHCC.
About SAHCC
The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the first organization of its type in the United States, having been originally chartered as the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in 1929. It is the largest Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in the United States. Additional information can be found at www.sahcc.org.
About FORMEXICO!
FORMEXICO! is a bi-national effort dedicated to identifying large-scale supportive resources on both sides of the border and focusing them on areas of greatest need in times of emergency. Visit www.formexico.org for more information and to make a donation to the Chiapas earthquake relief effort.
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