By Dr. Jason Zuidema, ICMA On June 21-22 the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) partnered with CrewConnect Europe for an international conference online to discuss the welfare of seafarers. More than 800 registrants from countries around the world took part in the event. ICMA is the ecumenical association of seafarers’ welfare missions from around the […]
by Rev. David Reid MA FNI Many mariners compare the role of the captain on board a ship to a supreme being – the ultimate authority. On a merchant ship, there is no rank or qualification of captain. Instead, this is the master mariner. In the 2020 movie Greyhound, Tom Hanks plays the captain of a […]
By Susan Huppert, NAMMA International seafarers receive Coronavirus vaccine in the Northwest ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. The Northwest Seaport Alliance manages most of the waterfront activities in the Seattle and Tacoma harbors. Existing among the same population, but with a different mission, are the Seattle Seafarers’ Center and the Tacoma Seafarers’ Center which […]
Oakland, CA May 15, 2021 /– International Maritime Center (4001 7th St. Oakland, Calif (501(c)3 Non-Profit) hosted an Alameda County Health Dept Covid vaccination clinic with Johnson and Johnson one-shot vaccine for all seafarers on Friday, May 14, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. IMC and ITF (www.itfglobal.org) were thrilled to partner with Alameda County […]
The North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) has compiled information on COVID-19 vaccine availability for foreign seafarers in United States ports. The list is available on the NAMMA website here: https://namma.org/vaccines/. The list is shared to assist all the ongoing efforts of local seafarers’ welfare agencies, government bodies, health care providers, industry and labour partners […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA It has been strange to California residents to see the waters leading to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angles peppered with ships since the pandemic surge in global shipping began last March. The abnormal flow of global goods, pieces and parts, exacerbated by COVID-19 has brought a crunch to […]
By Susan Huppert, NAMMA Seafarers’ missions across North American have taken new roads in serving the needs of seafarers since the beginning of the pandemic over one year ago. A recent discovery by Mission Manager Helen Glenn has been the critical need of prescriptions for seafarers who are unable to access a doctor. Glenn notes […]
by Rev. J. Loring Carpenter Fundraising for seafarers’ ministry was difficult enough before COVID-19. Now, while seafarers drift further from the public eye even as quarantines have made their lives more difficult: cruise ships still have skeleton crews, but no passengers; seafarers’ shopping on shore is done by chaplains; merchant vessels continue to supply the […]
By International Catholic Migration Commission Catholic organizations are mobilizing to address an invisible humanitarian crisis affecting men and women who work at sea, while calling on U.S.-based giant retailer Walmart to do more for the wellbeing of seafarers. Have you ever stopped to think how easily you can enjoy your favorite coffee from Brazil, use […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA Gladstone Seafarers Center’s General Manager Jessica Mulhall, was asked to provide a list of her “wildest dreams” to Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) on behalf of seafarers. Her list included free Wi-Fi for the ships at anchorage near the Port of Gladstone, Australia. Although the need was on the radar for years […]
