Luis Camarillo’s voice breaks as he speaks of families who have lost everything and yet are finding ways to help others also impacted by Mexico’s devastating floods.
“Can you imagine all these people instead of just being willing to have their own food they were organizing all these packages for other families who were also in need?” he asked.
Camarillo, Mexico Area welfare manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is in awe of the faith and love of thousands of Mexicans who are not only taking care of their own but also reaching out to others in their communities.
Two weeks of torrential rain in the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas has impacted the lives of over one million people.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed or badly damaged. There have also been heavy losses to crops and livestock.
Over 80 percent of the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco’s state capital, has been affected, and much of the city remains without electricity and running water. Like New Orleans, much of Villahermosa is at sea level or lower.
At one stage, over 1,000 temporary shelters were opened, housing more than 110,000 people. Because of rising flood waters, about 800 of these facilities were shut down, forcing tens of thousands to move to higher ground.
Eight church buildings belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are serving as shelters for over 1,000 people.
Many Latter-day Saint families have opened their homes to over 2,000 others displaced by the floods.
Church leaders have been working with government agencies to provide support where needed.
Over 40 tons of relief supplies were sent from Mexico City to Villahermosa on 2 November. This aid included food, water, milk, diapers, cookies and personal hygiene supplies. Local Latter-day Saints worked alongside neighbors and friends to assemble the supplies and distribute them to needy families.
Local Church leaders throughout Tabasco are organizing Mormon teams to assist government and other community groups in the massive cleanup.