Saratoga News Letters Local volunteer saw the aftermath of hurricane As you all know, Hurricane Mitch left devastation in its trail during the last few days of October and the first few days of November. Countries affected were Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Belize and Mexico. This disastrous event was one more affliction that was added to the tragedies such as poverty, earthquakes and cruel wars that have plagued these countries for most of this century. Tens of thousands of lives were lost, and a staggering number of people were made homeless as a result of the hurricane. On this rare occasion I was an eyewitness to this catastrophe. On Nov. 4, I arrived in Antigua, Guatemala, as part of a volunteer work team prepared to build houses for poor families under the auspices of the Godchild Project. Due to the flooding and severe damage to homes in Antigua, which was the center of the affected area, our plans were changed. Instead of building homes, we assisted volunteer workers of the Godchild Project in a variety of ways: pumping water, shoveling mud from partially buried homes, delivering food, buying and organizing supplies, giving medical care to the displaced, distributing clothing and counseling people to leave dangerous hillsides. It was a sad situation, but our group was more than willing to provide our assistance to the volunteer workers associated with the project. Our arrival in Anitgua could not have been better timed, since our help was sorely needed. The Guatemalan people who are being served urgently need help. The problems are innumerable and immediate. Work is under way to rebuild homes and lives. Reconstruction will take place over many months to come. To assist in this worthy effort, financial aid is needed. The Godchild Project would greatly appreciate any financial assistance. The address is: The Godchild Project, P.O. Box 14298, St. Paul, MN 55114. Phone: 651/917-0917. For your information, the Huebsch family of Minnesota founded the Godchild Project in 1986 to help and give hope to the Guatemalan poor. It is a (501) (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, approved by the IRS. At present, the Project serves over 880 families, and over 5,000 people. William J. Venuti Monte Sereno [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 6, 1999. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.