“To return home” … we have all heard or used that expression on many occasions. Usually those words have a positive meaning: to return to a safe place, to return to the warm of the home, to return to a place where one will encounter people and things that are loved and close to one’s heart.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, for the victims of the floods created by Hurricane Eta in Honduras, those words have a different meaning. The return home will be a time when they discover anew the destruction caused by the floods: piles of garbage and dead animals fill the streets, a layer of mud covers the interior and exterior of the houses, the majority of the furniture and electrical household goods which were purchased over time have all been lost.

The return home will not be joyful and warm (as it has been on other occasions), but rather that journey will be sad and cold for thousands of families who are confronting in these days the affects of the hurricane in el Valle de Sula. Yet these same individuals are making that journey with courage and hope and the desire to rebuild their lives and their homes.

The parish of Saint Vincent de Paul, administered by the members of the Congregation of the Mission, that accompanied the victims when they were scattered in dozens of shelters (providing these individuals with food, medicine, water … and satisfying many other primary needs), desires to continue accompanying and supporting the victims in this second phase (providing these families with all that they will need in order to clean and rehabilitate their homes: cleaning and disinfectant materials, tools, etc.

In order to do this, we need to be able to rely on the support of so many persons and institutions who have supported us from the very first day. We hope that we can count on your support.

DO YOU WANT TO COLLABORATE?

For all those who want to collaborate with the victims of Hurricane Eta, through the intermediation of the Padres Paules-Vincentians in Hondruas, you can do so through the following bank accounts:

• In Honduras:
  • Checking account in in Banpaís, in name of:  IGLESIA CATÓLICA/PARROQUIA SAN VICENTE DE PAÚL/ASISTENCIA: 01-002-000052-6
• In Spain:
  • Account: COVIDE-AMVE in Banco Santander: ES55-0075-7007-89-0606886830
  • In the account in BBVA of the PROVINCIA SAN VICENTE DE PAUL ESPAÑA PP PAULES: ES2201820913260018109808
• In the United States and other countries:
  • Go to the page SERVICIO VICENTINO INTERNACIONAL DE MISIONES (VIMS): vims1617.org

You can donate in a safe and secure manner by transfer ACH or by using a credit card.

We are grateful to all for your collaboration during this time of emergency.

P. Enrique Alagarda, C.M.