A
report from our Companion Diocese:
Hurricane Jeanne
causes serious flooding in the Dominican Republic
According to email reports from Deacon Bob Snow and the
Companion Dioceses of Georgia, South Carolina, Southwest Florida, and
Western Louisiana with the
Diocese of the Dominican
Republic, Hurricane Jeanne has caused significant flooding and as of
Sept. 21, 11 deaths in our Companion Diocese.
Though
the damage to Episcopal churches and schools appears to be slight,
Deacon Snow says that “many people in the communities we serve have
been severely impacted and the hardest hit areas are neighborhoods
of the poor”.
“In some
cases, people needed to be rescued from roof tops by helicopter,” his
message continues. “A bridge linking La Romana with San Pedro was
washed out. The government saved many lives by evacuating people in
many areas.”
The Companion Dioceses’ report says: “Fr. Sandino Sánchez
reports many poor people were flooded out in the poor, lower barrios
in San Pedro. Fr. Ramón Ubiera emailed photos of trees down in front
of preschool El Niño Jesús in Montellano, where there was also a lot
of flooding. Along the river in the lower parts of La Barquita in
Santo Domingo, near mission San Pedro & San Pablo, many houses
were flooded, even to roof level”.
The Diocese of the Dominican Republic is now in the process
of surveying needs, but Bishop Juilo Holguín wants to begin immediately
to provide food, clothes, bedding materials, construction materials
and other necessities to people in urgent need.
Deacon
Snow asks that those want to help send money for purchasing these materials
in the DR, rather than sending the goods themselves. He explains that
it usually takes a minimum of two weeks to gather and ship materials
and may take an additional week, not to mention “a significant amount
of staff time” to process items through customs. In most cases, the
needs can’t wait that long.
Checks payable to The Dominican Development Group and marked “flood
relief” can be sent to The Dominican Development Group, P.O. Box 661, Ellenton, FL 34222. Donations are
tax-deductible.
Deacon
Snow requests that persons and groups who are sending donations email
him with the amount they’re giving, in order to help the diocese plan
its purchases before the funds actually arrive. His email address is bobsnow_2000@yahoo.com
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