NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE, JUST GOODS, INC. AND THE WILL & JADA SMITH FAMILY FOUNDATION DONATE MUCH-NEEDED DRINKING WATER TO THOSE IMPACTED BY SEVERE STORMS
– Truckloads of JUST Water Delivered to 17 Feeding America Member Food Banks and Other Nonprofit Organizations Located in Areas Severely Impacted by Recent Storms –
MIAMI (MARCH 18, 2021) – Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, in partnership with JUST® Goods, Inc. and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, joined efforts in a multi-city donation by providing JUST Water to 17 Feeding America member food banks and other nonprofit organizations in the U.S. located in areas ravaged by severe storms.
The organizations provided 16 truckloads - more than 532,000 responsibly packaged, plant-based cartons of JUST Water - to benefit people effected by the extreme weather.
“We were so saddened to hear about the immense impact to those devastated by the unprecedented storms this year,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “We are happy that with the support of our team members and partners, we’re able to help by providing much needed water to communities in need.”
“JUST is humbled to be able to support communities struggling with access to fresh water after the recent storms that hit Texas and Gulf states. It’s our highest definition of partnership to work alongside Norwegian Cruise Line and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation to make sure people who need water have access to it. We’re so proud of the water we source and, in this moment, to put it to the best use possible,” said Kara Rubin, vice president of brand & product strategy at JUST Goods, Inc.
The joint efforts provided water to the following food banks and nonprofits across the Southern U.S.:
Houston Food Bank (Houston, Texas)
Friendship West Baptist Church (Dallas, Texas)
Austin Disaster Relief Network (Austin, Texas)
North Texas Food Bank (Plano, Texas)
South Texas Food Bank (Laredo, Texas)
San Antonio Food Bank (San Angelo, Texas)
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc. (Pharr, Texas)
East Texas Food Bank (Tyler, Texas)
West Texas Food Bank (Odessa, Texas)
Southeast Texas Food Bank (Beaumont, Texas)
God's Pantry Food Bank, Inc. (Prestonsburg, Ky)
Mississippi Food Network (Jackson, Miss)
Boys and Girls Club of Central MS (Jackson, Miss
New Horizon Church (Jackson, Miss)
Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana (Monroe, La)
SH Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana (New Orleans, La)
Food Bank of Central Louisiana (Alexandria, La)
"Our hearts go out to all the people that have been impacted by the brutal storms that have recently overwhelmed Texas and our Gulf states,” Jana Babatunde-Bey, president & CEO of the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation. “WJSFF's community partners on the ground have expressed immediate and long-term challenges with facilitating access to clean water, food and housing supplies to those most in need. We hope that this contribution can provide some relief and encourage others to send support as well. We are grateful for our partnership with JUST and Norwegian Cruise Line to provide these much-needed resources.”
This latest collaboration follows the recent effort between Norwegian Cruise Line and JUST® Goods, Inc., to support the worldwide generosity movement GivingTuesday. The cruise line donated a case of JUST Water to local food banks in Miami and New York City for every case purchased through the JUST Goods, Inc. online store during the month of December. The joint effort resulted in the delivery of nearly 150,000 JUST Water cartons into the hands of those who need it most with donations benefitting Feeding South Florida, City Harvest New York and Food Bank for New York City.
“Feeding America member food banks are on the ground meeting the needs of communities impacted by disasters,” said Liz Baldridge, managing director of manufacturing food industry partnerships at Feeding America. “We are incredibly grateful to JUST Goods, Inc. and Norwegian Cruise Line for their generous support of local food banks. This critical donation will help people when they need it most.”
For more information on how you can support efforts benefiting local Feeding America member food banks, please visit www.FeedingAmerica.org.
For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line ships and their itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visitwww.ncl.com.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 54 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionized the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 17 contemporary ships sail to over 300 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. Norwegian Cruise Line not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo-traveler staterooms, mini-suites, spa-suites and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept. For additional information or to book a cruise, contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or visit www.ncl.com. For the latest news and exclusive content, visit the media center and follow Norwegian Cruise line on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @NorwegianCruiseLine; and Twitter and Snapchat @CruiseNorwegian.
About JUST Goods, Inc.
JUST Goods, Inc. is a global consumer goods company dedicated to producing responsibly sourced, sustainably packaged products. The company's first product, JUST Water, is 100% spring water ethically sourced from Upstate New York, packaged in a bottle made of 88% renewable resources. A Certified B-Corp, the company's mission to create environmental and social value along the supply chain extends to partnerships with environmental non-profits, key members of the science and innovation community, as well as university collaborations, hospitality partnerships, event alliances and community projects. JUST Water is now being produced in three countries - the US, the United Kingdom and Australia. JUST products can be found in a growing number of grocery retail locations, hotels, schools, cultural locations and entertainment venues worldwide. For more information please visit www.justwater.com.
About The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation
The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF) is a non-profit organization that sits at the convergence of philanthropy, media and social impact. We are an incubator and accelerator that ignites the next generation of big ideas, cutting-edge artists, thought leaders, change-makers and social innovators. Together with grantees and partners, we invest in organizations and initiatives that empower traditionally overlooked communities and affect real change. Join us at www.wjsff.org.
