By: Sarah Pate
VERACRUZ, Mexico - In just 10 minutes, Esmeralda lost her home, her job-everything.
The single mother of two young children makes juices and sells them from her home, but all that changed when rapid flooding triggered by Hurricane Karl swept through her community, destroying her home and her only source of income.
Operation Blessing teams have been responding for the past few weeks now with aid for affected families, distributing tons of food, clothing and other relief-including setting up water purification units that are providing clean drinking water to about 15,000 people.
When teams arrived to check on the water unit placed in Emeralda's community of Cardel, Veracruz, she quickly approached them with a frantic request.
"Don't take it away! Please don't take it away!" she pleaded. "We have lost our houses and our jobs. They just took away our mobile kitchen. If you take this away we will have nothing."
Teams reassured Esmeralda that the water unit wasn't going anywhere and would stay there as long as there was a need.
"You truly are a 'Blessing,' " said Esmeralda, smiling with relief.
In addition to providing clean water, food, and clothing, volunteer teams are also helping to clean and disinfect homes as well as distribute anti-parasite pills to all the shelters in Veracruz.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.