Amistad 26 Connections Assn.

10/11/2026

Feeling very thankful for the abundance we have here in Canada, and thinking of our friends in Cuba who are going without so many basic necessities.

We’ve just sent our 19th food order to Matanzas and our 12th to Havana, where food and basic survival supplies continue to be scarce.

Our friend Luis shared this in his latest message:

“We are still focusing on kids mostly. The look on their faces when they see yummy food is PRICELESS ❤️💕”

We suspect that what we’re sending feeds their spirits as well as their bodies. It’s about more than food — it’s also a reminder that they haven’t been forgotten, and that people far away care about them.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who continues to support our little grassroots effort to feed our pals in Cuba. Every donation makes a difference, and we’re so grateful for your kindness and generosity. ❤️

Wendy and Arlene
Amistad26 [email protected]

09/17/2026

We just sent our 18th ! food order to Matanzas.
Tuna, peanut butter , cheese , whole milk powder, beans , rice and more . Our friends there are doing an amazing job of dividing up the food and making sure it reaches people who are most in need.

To give a little perspective on just how great the need continues to be, here is an excerpt from a recent message from Luis:

In terms of what to get for the next order we basically have created a standard module of food which is what everyone gets evenly across that includes a pack of tuna , 1 or 2 packs of pasta , we divide a cheese block into 3 pieces so each module has a third, 2-3 kilos of milk depending, a pack or 2 of cookies , one peanut butter one jelly a pack of rice , a pack of garbanzos or beans , tomato sauce and depending on any additional item each person needs we fill the module with about 7-8 items total.
I still think Tuna , cheese, milk and peanut butter are the main staples that allow someone to survive for a week and they are the most expensive for a family on a normal salary to get. Just to give you an example we valued and priced for our own purposes each food module taking into account how much those same items are worth on the street and each person is getting the equivalent of 20 thousand Cuban pesos more or less . The average salary here is 5 thousand and even less.
So you get an idea of what each module represents for a family.

We are so grateful to everyone who continues to support Amistad 26. Every donation, large or small, is helping put food on the table for families who are struggling through an incredibly difficult time.
Address for etransfer :
[email protected]
Thank you for being part of this grassroots effort. ❤️

— Wendy & Arlene

08/27/2026

We just sent another order to Matanzas with many of the regular items. Sadly, peanut butter is no longer available, so we had to leave it off this order.

Prices continue to climb, but we’re doing our best to stretch every dollar and find the best value, focusing on nutritious, high-protein foods.
After we sent the order , this message came in from Luis , so we sent rice .

Hi Wendy and Arlene we have a last minute request if able .
Incredibly now there is no rice in Cuba , suddenly it went out of stock at local shops . We went looking all over and there is none available. The bodega system were people got their supplies is no longer giving rations to the people so now everyone has to get their own. They tell me La Habana still has supplies but places like Matanzas are the first to fall into shortages bacause everything comes from La Habana first.

Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support Amistad26. Every contribution helps us keep these food orders going and makes a real difference to families in Matanzas. ❤️
[email protected]

Please share this with your friends - every donation any amount makes a difference.

08/18/2026

Luis and Orayne have had a busy week sharing the food from our recent order .
This week's deliveries :
Anabel (diabetic daughter)
Evelin ( single mother of 3)
Elena ( single mom of a girl that's studying to become a bass player)
Eddiani ( nurse with 2 small daughters also single)
Denni ( works for state at phone company single mom with a living in mom at home she takes care of them all)
Reina and André , ( diabetic husband they are both low income families from the neighborhood)
Marta ( senior living by herself)
Anita ( nurse also single mother of 2 taking care of the elderly)
Pla ( a fitness trainer that teaches local kids about being fit has a group of teens that exercise at his home and barely makes enough to eat )
Also we helped a couple of renowned retired doctors that are barely making it
The next person is a single father that Anabel brought to our attention his wife left him and he has been taking care of his baby and working at the same time , everyone praises him for being such a good dad but times are very hard for everyone so we are coming to help him.

The donations you are sending are making an enormous difference to so many families in Matanzas. ❤️

A big shout-out to the Hornby Festival for taking up a collection during the Adonis Fuentes show and dance. Close to $1,000 was donated to Amistad 26!

It truly takes a village to make these grassroots efforts possible. Every contribution, big or small, is helping us get food directly into the hands of people who need it.

Thank you for being part of our village. 🙏❤️
[email protected]
Wendy and Arlene .

08/14/2026

This is a note from our friend in Havana. ❤️
Amigas queridas, gracias por todo lo que hacen por nosotros! No me cansaré de agradecerles. Aquí les mando fotos de algunos paquetes de comidas que he entregado algunas familias y personas. También he hecho unos pequeños paquetes con algunos productos para llegar a más personas. Abrazos amigas lo que hacen por nosotros tiene tanto mérito, que no tengo como agradecerles. Les abrazo desde el alma.

Thank you so much to every single person who is helping to make a difference for the Cuban people. Your support truly matters, and we are so grateful.

Wendy and Arlene .
[email protected]

08/09/2026

This is a little message from our friends in Matanzas Cuba , today is a distribution day . Cheese , milk powder peanut butter , etc. all made into packages to share with the community. Ma y thanks to all that continue to contribute - we are making a difference- if you are able to donate , any amount is helpful and very much appreciated .
[email protected]

07/31/2026

Today we sent another food order to our friends in Matanzas. Each time we place an order, the list of available food items is smaller than the last. The shelves are emptying, and it already feels like we’ll need to send another shipment much sooner than we’d planned.

The reality is heartbreaking. Families are struggling to find enough to eat, and the situation continues to deteriorate. We can’t help but wonder why so little attention is being given to a crisis that affects so many ordinary people.

We’ve been incredibly grateful for the generosity that’s allowed us to keep sending food, but our funds are now running low. At the same time, the need has never been greater.

If you’re able to help, even with a small donation, it will go directly toward food for families in Matanzas. Every dollar makes a real and immediate difference.

💛 Donations can be sent by e-transfer or PayPal to [email protected]

Please consider sharing this post as well. The more people who hear about Amistad 26, the more families we can help.

Thank you for standing with us and with the people of Cuba.

With gratitude,

Wendy & Arlene

07/24/2026

July 24 2026
We sent two large orders today , one to Matanzas and one to Havana -with some bed nets and mosquito repellent as well as the usual milk powder , cheese, tuna, eggs condensed milk . We are still able to find most things on the supermarket 23 site, but less selection than earlier in the year and prices have gone up . We suspect that the food we have been purchasing is from a warehoused stockpile already in Cuba in preparation for what they were hoping would be a good tourist season.
The Cuban people are at the breaking point, no food no fuel , no employment , no electricity and yet they continue. We are making a difference in our small way, many thanks to the generosity of our community.
[email protected]

The following is an excerpt from a voice message from our friend in Matanzas.

'We are trying to remain hopeful as best we can. Certainly Amistad 26 has been a fantastic
project because it keeps us busy and even the kids are involved so that teaches them about
doing good and the value of things.
Leonel our 15 yo said to a friend last week " I can't go out tomorrow because I am busy
helping with the donations from Canada" he sorted out things and puts them in the bundles for
each person the older one knows how to slice the cheese portions and how much milk goes
into every bag etc ..this is great for them.
As a parent you always wish to raise kids that are born to serve this world effectively and
hopefully study things that will make a difference.'

06/23/2026

This is from our friend in havana , re the new measures brought in by the govt .
'Friends. This country is a desperate cry right now. The government and its new pro-capitalist measures in a country where the basic wage is $6.00 are destroying the already struggling population, who can't take it anymore. And as long as they remain in power, there will be no improvement for the people.
The situation here gets more chaotic every day. Power outages can last between 40 and 60 hours. Internet access is also very difficult.

We sent fairly large orders two weeks ago, to both Matanzas and Havana.
Our funds are starting to get low - many thanks to all that are still sending a monthly amount , it is very helpful.
[email protected] is the address to send donations. We promise to continue to work to get the food to our pals down there.
Wendy and Arlene

06/06/2026

This is an update from our friends in
Matanzas last night June 5 2026.

'We are evaluating the situation now and things are not only not improving but taking a turn for the worse. Politically nothing is really happening and Cuba is bankrupt and the government is crumbling.
Protests are starting to happen only time will tell .
Matanzas looks deserted today lots of people out of work, the latest are the hotel workers because of the hotel closures. Inflation is skyrocketing cup is 615 to 1 USD so salaries are nothing for Cubans that work for the government.
Supplies into the country are not stable so we think it might me a good idea to make another shipment just in case so we don't run into the possibility of loosing that opportunity in case things go bad fast. '

Arlene and I spoke with our friends and decided to increase the regular Matanzas order by 1/3 , we also managed to find a simple gravity water filtration system to send and extra cartridges, as the electricity and clean water supply are tied together and both are very unreliable .
Much gratitude to all that are helping with this food aid project, so far its all getting to Cuba and kids and families are getting fed!

To donate :
[email protected]
And for more information :

In January 2026, a group of 26 singers and instrumentalists from across Canada and the United States travelled to Matanzas, Cuba for a week of music, dance, and cultural exchange. Hosted by local...