Hurricane relief response amazing

WINNIPEG

The last shipment of hurricane relief kits left Winnipeg Jan. 27 on its way to the hurricane ravaged region of Latin America. In total, 9,500 buckets containing such items as cough syrup, soap, bath towels and combs were dropped off at Mennonite Central Committee offices across Canada.

"We thought that across Canada we would do maybe 3,000 [buckets]. It's been just an amazing response from constituents," said Elaine Peters of MCC.

"It was such a hands-on thing that people really responded to it," said Ron Schellenberg of MCC Saskatchewan, where more than 700 buckets were donated, well surpassing expectations of 500 hurricane kits.

The seven shipments of buckets from Canada were valued at $540,000. Five trucking companies donated some of their services to transport the shipments to Houston and Miami. From there, they were shipped to Honduras or airlifted to Nicaragua.

Both countries were severely hit by Hurricane Mitch when it hammered the region at the end of October. Willie Reimer, director of MCC's Food, Disaster and Material Resources, recently visited Honduras and reported that the vast majority of buckets arrived in good shape. One challenge was getting the buckets through customs, but that is getting easier he admitted.

MCC is working with local church agencies to distribute the buckets. In Honduras, pastors helped select needy families and set up teams for the distribution. Reimer said that along with the medical and sanitary supplies, the Spanish Bibles included in each bucket are highly valued. "Even before the hurricane, many people couldn't afford Bibles, " he said. As well, he was told people were moved by the personal letters that were included in many of the buckets.

"I'm surprised how many people wrote Spanish notes," marveled Verna Hiebert, material aid director for MCC Manitoba. "And that was good."

Hiebert said the large response from Canadians wanting to contribute something hands-on to aid hurricane victims meant extra help was needed in the material aid centre. As well, numerous extra volunteers jumped to the task of helping prepare the buckets for shipment. "It's been a bit overwhelming, but it's been good. People have been very generous," she said.MCC Canada release

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