World Central Kitchen Expands Northern Saipan Relief Efforts

To better serve residents in northern Saipan, the World Central Kitchen (WCK) has expanded its food distribution efforts, providing 700 hot meals per location simultaneously at the Tanapag and San Roque distribution sites yesterday.
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According to Malcolm Omar, the overall North Site Leader for World Central Kitchen, the coordinated effort aims to streamline relief and ensure no one in the northern villages goes hungry.
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The relief initiative has grown rapidly over the past week. According to Omar, the distribution began on Tuesday, April 21, with sandwiches, before transitioning to hot meals on Friday. The meals are fully funded by WCK and will continue to be provided until further notice.
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Local caterers have been tapped to supply the food. Herman’s Bakery catered the hot meals in Tanapag, providing 400 meals on Friday and 600 meals on Saturday to meet the high volume of walk-in and drive-through traffic.

​“We started on Tuesday, distributing sandwiches, and then we had our first hot meal distribution yesterday [Friday]. Today, Saturday, will continue until further notice because everything is funded by the World Central Kitchen,” said Omar.

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Omar noted that on days when the Tanapag site ran out of food with cars still in line, volunteers directed residents to the San Roque Church site, ensuring those who missed earlier 1:00 p.m. distributions could still receive a meal at 3:00 p.m.
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“I’m glad to volunteer for World Central Kitchen, offering its services to our communities. With them having the resources to provide the needed assistance to coordinate and organize the distribution sites, I was happy to assist for the North side of Saipan,” Omar added.
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The two simultaneous distribution sites serve distinct areas in northern Saipan, the Tanapag Site (Tanapag Social Hall) - serves Tanapag, Sadog Tasi, the Lower Base area, and the Achugao area before Aqua Resort and San Roque Site (San Roque Church) - serves San Roque village, As Matuis Homestead, and the northern farmland areas.
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At the San Roque Church location, 700 hot meals catered by Triple J were distributed. According to Fr. Nelson Plohimon, OAR, the church originally planned for fewer meals but quickly realized the community's need was greater.
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“Last Wednesday, we started because the sponsor from the World Center Kitchen offered at least 500 people to receive these hot meals. After Wednesday, we added to that and made it 700, because there are many people that needed it," Fr. Plohimon said.

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He noted that the San Roque distribution is highly organized, starting promptly at 3:00 p.m. and generally finishing within 30 to 60 minutes. However, Fr. Plohimon emphasized the need for fairness, urging residents not to visit multiple sites.
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“The thing is, if they already received, maybe give a chance to others who did not receive. Because if they already received from other parishes or areas, better give a chance to others, because some people are also in need,” he urged. 
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The massive community effort has relied heavily on grassroots communication. Senator Corina Magofna, who has been volunteering at the meal distributions, took to Facebook Live to announce the schedules of the meals distribution to the public.



​“I figured that a lot of people were going on social media, and one of the fastest ways to disseminate information is to do a post so that everyone can just share,” said Magofna.
​While praising the community's resilience and the efforts of organizations like WCK, Senator Magofna expressed frustration over the local government's lack of centralized communication regarding relief efforts.



​“I’m simply reaching out to people; a lot of information I get is, unfortunately, from the public. There’s not a lot of communication within the government; I am not placing blame on anyone. I’m just saying there needs to be a centralized place for all elected leaders and the whole government to communicate so that the information is being disseminated all at the same time.” Magofna stated.