Massive donations for Bahía Blanca: how to help floods

After the devastating floods that hit Bahía Blanca, the city of Buenos Aires became an epicenter of solidarity campaigns. Churches, sports clubs, railway stations and Buenos Aires foundations have been transformed into collection centers where non -perishable foods, drinking water, clothing, footwear, personal hygiene items and cleaning elements are received to provide support to the victims of the town of the Buenos Aires southwest. The answer, they highlight, has been massive with points that exceeded the expectations of their drivers.

At the door of the Our Lady of Caacupé Parish (Av. Rivadavia 4879), in the Caballito neighborhood in front of the Rivadavia Park, the operation around donations was incessant since Sunday morning following the number of people who approached. “Our recognition to the good heart that the Buenos Aires has. Actually, to the heart of Argentine citizenship in general that before these situations immediately draws the best. We estimate that between Tuesday and Wednesday the first truck for Bahía Blanca comes out”, Says the father Eusebio Hernández Grecoin charge of this emblematic church located in the heart of the map.

Like his whole family, this parish priest radiated in the big city is a bahiense. «I have everyone there: my brothers, my mother, my sisters -in -law, my nephews”, List.

On the impact of the first hours of the storm, whose fatal victim figure amounts to 16 dead and thousands of evacuated with still incalculable material losses, argues that «one thing is when they send you a whatsapp telling you that it is raining a lot, that it is flooding, and another thing is to see the images of what was happening exactly.»

In that sense, complete: «See the center where one walked as a teenager, the streets that one recognizes … we couldn’t stay with crossed arms”

The soccer community, meanwhile, joined through the community solidarity network scheme that Juan Carr created, who described him The nation that the situation in Bahía Blanca as «A huge catastrophe that had the most important response of all Argentine citizenship of the last 20 years we have been in activity”

According to what he could collect these days, “donations points are overwhelmed by people’s help. There are soccer clubs, universities, companies. Never in history was something like that and is most exciting. ”

Anyway, he affirms that the path of Bahian reconstruction will be long, so he requested proof of aid. «You have to sustain it over time because reconstructing such a big impact will take over time”He stressed.

Federico Y., 4th, is a neighbor of the area and says that he was also born in Bahía Blanca. «My family is fine, thank God, but many people were really very affected. Especially, the people in the city center, who lost everything. I think that no dimension of the magnitude of what happened, not even there, ”he counts, while accommodating water drums and clothing boxes.

From early he arrived to collaborate with the loading work of donations ”in Caacupé, where drivers emphasize that“ clothing is being needed because people do not have to move with the clothes that are muddy or wet, as well as how also disinfection things to hygienize ”.

Nahir Vrovich, 45,, on the other hand, arrived from Villa Pueyrredón last noon with two full bags. «I suit clothes, suit shoes, suit toys, towels and we leave a small bicycle and two baby bicycles for a while”, He says.

In that sense, he assures that he also impressed the number of people who found himself in the place with the intention of collaborating. «I didn’t think I was going to be so big. Whenever I can, I bring, but what happened in Bahía Blanca has really sensitized society. I do not imagine what everything should be, luckily there are many people who are sympathizing, ”completes.

In parallel, from the organization Cáritas Argentina From the Catholic Church a digital collection began. “The city of Bahía Blanca is being affected by serious floods, following a strong temporal in the area. From Cáritas we are working to attend the urgent needs of affected families and communities. In the midst of this emergency, your contribution is an invaluable help for those who have lost everything. Don in Caritas.org.ar/emercence”They shared.

As on other occasions, practically all sports institutions sympathized with the situation in Bahía Blanca and some offered their facilities for donations. Independent, Racing, River, Boca, Lanús, Chacarita, San Miguel and Atlanta are some of the clubs of the metropolitan area that set up collections at the headquarters of their stadiums or social departments during the last hours to help Bahía Blanca.

In parallel, the Argentine Football Association (AFA)which anticipated that he will send supplies for the victims of the storm.

«The Argentine Soccer Association accompanies the city of Bahía Blanca in this difficult time and will send different provisions, non -perishable foods, elements for hygiene and mattresses in the next few hours,» said the mother’s mother house of national football through a statement published on its social networks.

“We are going to collect everything in the AFA on Tuesday and then reach all the victims. Chacarita is always very supportive and we are going, at least, to give a grain of sand throughout this evil that happened, ”he told The nation Walter Fazzito, Manager and Secretary of Social Development of the Club, in the previous party between Chacarita and students of Río Cuarto in San Martín, for the National B.

From the Constitution station, meanwhile, in the next few hours the call will arrive in Bahía Blanca «Solidarity Train»a social assistance program in cases of humanitarian and climatic crises that integrates a solidarity network. Backed throughout the rail system together with the guilds of the sector such as fraternity, rail union, railway superior personal union and serene, it is about a formation of six wagons that will come out this Monday at night through the route that the Roca train makes in the direction of the convulsed Buenos Aires town.

«We are very moved with what is happening, for us it is a great challenge”, Said Sergio Rojas, Campaign Coordinator, La Nro. 51 of its history.

Donations to complete it are received in the Constitution Hall, a contribution to which «donations from other points that we had at the Cañuelas stations, San Miguel del Monte and Las Flores» will be added.

Other NGOs, in turn, activated campaigns this Sunday to collaborate with the bahienses. The Foundation Yeswhich had an active role in aid for the floods of La Plata in 2013, is one of them. Receive donations at your Palermo headquarters in Ángel Carranza 1962 until 7 pm. Its president, Manuel Lozano, together with a team are already installed in Bahía Blanca.

«We are in full material collection and came to tour the neighborhoods to organize the aid. To that we add a collection of money for the equipment of the houses, where everything has been lost, ”he told this medium.

And he closed: «People are trying to rescue, where the water has already lowered, what they can recover and what not, but the losses in furniture are many.»