Partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Cooperative Feeding Broward, Port Everglades will work with the Seattle-based cruise line to donate items from its ships that regularly call at Port Everglades. The goods will be distributed to individuals and families in need by Cooperative Feeding Broward.

In addition to the weekly donations of individual-sized toiletries, Holland America Line periodically will provide items such as towels, linens, dishes, cookware, silverware, televisions and mattresses. The program kicks off in South Florida today with ms Noordam, ms Maasdam, ms Westerdam and ms Eurodam providing hundreds of items that would otherwise have been discarded.

"Giving back is part of the corporate culture at Holland America Line and it is part of our corporate social responsibility," said Stein Kruse, president and chief executive officer. "Over the years Holland America has worked with nonprofits around the world to donate reusable goods in a socially conscious, environmentally friendly method.  These items are periodically replaced on our ships and can be put to good use for a worthy cause."

The Ship to Shelter program incorporates strategic partnerships between Port Everglades, Cooperative Feeding Broward and Holland America Line to provide partially used stateroom amenities that are no longer needed on cruise ships for re-use by the needy, while providing an environmentally friendly solid waste disposal solution.  

Holland America Line will continue to donate other items from various Port Everglades-based ships from January through April and October through December each year.

Port Everglades has been instrumental in implementing the program.  "We all know that the cruise industry provides great economic benefit to our region, and now they also are providing an important charitable benefit," said Port Everglades Director Phil C. Allen. "The Ship to Shelter program exemplifies the port's commitment to social responsibility - finding a way for us and our partners to give back to the community and ensure that everyone benefits from the business of the port."

Cooperative Feeding Broward is a nonprofit, award-winning organization that provides hot daily meals, a family food box, showers, mailroom, phone lines, food stamps, clothing, counseling, back to school supplies and more to locals in need.

"There is an incredible shortage of basic toiletry items in the needy community," said Marti Forman, chief executive officer, Cooperative Feeding Broward. "We often take the availability of these items for granted, and with the generosity of the Ship to Shelter program, we will be able to help fulfill this need for so many people."

SHIP TO SHELTER STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)]  
Holland America Line's fleet of 14 ships offers nearly 500 cruises to 320 ports of call in 100 countries, territories or dependencies on all seven continents. As part of its social responsibility initiative, the leading premium cruise line contributes over a million dollars each year in cash, in-kind shipboard events and useable goods to a broad range of charitable organizations nationally and internationally. Additionally, the line provides more than 2,000 reduced-fare cruises annually to support charitable fundraising events throughout the United States and Canada. In 2008, their On Deck for the Cure program contributions exceeded the million-dollar mark to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  

From flowers to fuel and milk to wine, Holland America Line's cruise operations have a significant economic impact on Ft. Lauderdale and southern Florida with ten ships visiting. Yearly, that impact totals nearly US$300 million and more than 238,000 guests embarked or debarked in Ft. Lauderdale, the premium line's major port in Florida.  Holland America Line's economic impact includes staffing at the cruise terminal, provisioning ships, refueling, passenger spending, crew spending, port fees and taxes, and marketing and sales expenditures in the region.  For more information contact www.hollandamerica.com.

Port Everglades
As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also Florida's leading container port. And, Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for receiving petroleum products including, gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund of Broward County government with operating revenues of more than $117 million in Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008). It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations. The total value of economic activity at Port Everglades surpasses almost $18 billion. Approximately 200,000 Florida jobs are impacted by the Port, including 11,620 people who work for companies that provide direct services to Port Everglades. More information on Port Everglades, which is governed by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, is available on the Internet at www.broward.org/port.

The Cooperative Feeding Program (CFP)
The Cooperative Feeding Program is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization that has been serving Broward County residents in need since 1985. Hot daily meals, a family food box, showers, mailroom, phone lines, food stamps, clothing, counseling, back to schools supplies and more is provided to those in need by the staff, board and volunteers of this award-winning agency. Last year alone, The CFP provided services to 83,000 people and distributed more than 1.3 million meals. Find out more about the work of this agency at www.FeedingBroward.org.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CBP is one of the Department of Homeland Security's largest and most complex organizations.  CBP secures America's borders 24 hours a day, seven days a week while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. It does so by integrating modern technology, deploying highly trained law enforcement personnel, and developing industry partnerships that advance its overall mission
http://www.cbp.gov/.