In the municipality of Viamão, the Novo Lar work, with the support of the Parish dedicated to St John Mary Vianney, continues to prepare hundreds of meals every day for the flooded population. This initiative has been and remains essential for guaranteeing food to those who have lost their homes and all their belongings to the floods and are now in vulnerable situations.
At the same time, donations came from various regions of Brazil, especially from the St Pius Province of Porto Alegre Brazil (BPA), which extends over three of the southernmost states of Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul). This flow of aid has been instrumental in keeping supplies of food, clothing and other essentials available for those who are now starving.
An important and noteworthy element was the contribution collected and sorted by the Don Bosco Institute in Porto Alegre, which delivered more than 600 tons of donations received from all over the country, especially from Salesian presences in the BPA Province. These donations were distributed directly to the places most affected by the floods, thanks to a network of collaborations with reception centres and other institutions.
The logistics of these continuous deliveries were the result of the tireless work of many volunteers, including students of the centre, their parents and family members, and teachers, demonstrating the strength of the Educative and Pastoral Community of the institute, gathered around a noble cause.
Finally, a delegation of young people from the Salesian Youth Movement (AJS, in Brazil) and the Missionary Action Groups of the Province met in Porto Alegre to carry out voluntary activities for the cleaning of environments damaged by flooding and for the reorganisation of spaces. Their work was carried out in the São Miguel parish in the Humaitá district of Porto Alegre, one of the most affected by the floods, where the entire parish and all its spaces were seriously damaged.
"This joint effort of the Salesian community illustrates how solidarity and coordinated action can make a difference in times of crisis, providing relief and hope to those who need it most" commented Lavínia Pimpão, from the BPA Province Communication Office.
