Klakring Delivers Project Handclasp Materials to Shelter

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Michael J. Scott, CTG 40.0 Public Affairs

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (NNS) -- The Center for the Promotion of Human Dignity (CEPRODIH), a shelter for battered women received a special gift May 8 from USS Klakring (FFG 42) and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42 Det. 10 Sailors on behalf of Project Handclasp.

U.S. Navy Sailors unloaded pallets of hygiene items and stuffed animals from the ship right into embassy vehicles waiting on the pier. No ceremony or fanfare was made, but the women will benefit from the generosity and kindness of others.

"Project Handclasp donations such as those delivered by USS Klakring provide an opportunity for us to put smiles on the faces of mothers and children," said Cmdr. George Boudreau, Uruguay's U.S. Embassy Navy representative, "in this case a battered women's shelter located in one of Montevideo's poorest neighborhoods."

Project Handclasp accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill material overseas on a space-available basis in U.S. Navy ships. Materials are distributed directly to needy recipients by U.S. service personnel stationed in overseas areas or embarked in U.S. Navy ships that visit these areas. Klakring was in Montevideo as part of the six-month Southern Seas 2010 deployment to the Caribbean and Latin America in support of U.S. Southern Command's (USSOUTHCOM) Partnership of the Americas Maritime Strategy.

Through the cooperation of numerous donors, Project Handclasp has been able to ship approximately 1.5 million pounds of charitable materials overseas annually for the past several years.

CEPRODIH is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization. Their main mission is to promote initiatives to assist the poorest sectors of society and defend their rights and interests. They provide help for families and victims of domestic violence, as well as caring for abandoned and forsaken elderly.

Since 2000, CEPRODIH has been carrying out an integral program which works with families to: improve all aspects of family life (lodging, nutrition, health, documentation, etc.); provide training in areas like hygiene, gastronomy, information technology, sewing; and assist personnel in obtaining employment through partnerships with various firms and/or the formation of cooperative enterprises/associations.

"The donations were delivered today by the U.S. Embassy. The women and children were very happy, and wanted me to send my thanks to the Klakring crew, and to the American people," said Boudreau.

Klakring, as part of Task Group 40.0, is on a six-month deployment to South America and the Caribbean as part of Southern Seas 2010 (SS10). Southern Seas is an annual USSOUTHCOM-directed operation implemented by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) and executed by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40 as Commander, Task Group 40.0. Southern Seas focuses on conducting a variety of exercises and multinational exchanges to enhance interoperability, increase regional stability, and build and maintain regional relationships with partner nations. SS10 includes the guided-missile frigate, USS Klakring (FFG 42), HSL-42 Det. 10, and DESRON 40 serving as the command element.