Covid-19 Response, 2020 – 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic brought new burdens to families already living in poverty belts:  Their transportation to find work was more limited.  Many lost their jobs and work opportunities became even more scarce. Local food supplies were limited.  Their children’s schools were closed.  Many men and youth had to leave their families to migrate and look for work.  Our teams work within the travel restrictions for the projects.

Manos Hermanas put our regular programs and projects on hold to focus on help for these needs:

1. Volunteer teams came to prepare and to distribute almost 4 tons of basic foods and necessities baskets to help 930 families that were detected in 20 communities in the Guadalajara area. One local team, after distributing food baskets in 3 communities, used their kitchen to set up a feeding station with weekly hot meals for needy children and youth from two of those communities. We also were able to help colleagues in the State of Oaxaca buy food locally and feed another 100 families through their projects in an isolated region of their southern mountains.
2. We took advantage of a window of time when we could travel more easily to help 99 families in six communities use their spare time and develop practical ideas to use their available space to produce quick growing veggies for their families. They recycle their “trash” to build and to fertilize their gardens planted in vertical gardens, flower pots, old tires, cans, and soda bottles.  These gardens help parents and children work together to eat better, to save, and even earn, money for other expenses.

Two groups had land available to set up community gardens to feed themselves and their neighbors.

3. We produced 4,490 three layer cloth and antibacterial face masks locally to help people get out more safely and look for work.

Jorge, a team leader, comments:

“We are grateful for your support that allows us to serve and meet needs in three of our nearby communities.  These people know us and know that we are here to help them in their time of need.  In the midst of this pandemic we have been able to provide many needy families with basic food baskets, and the youth and children with hot meals at least once a week with the help from Manos Hermanas. 

People tell us, ‘Here, we don’t have to jump through as many hoops as other places to get help.’ 

One family we have been able to help has three youth who are all on drugs.  Their daughter has twins.  This child ‘mother’ is now in a drug rehab center so the grandparents care for the twins.  Both grandparents are sick: one with diabetes and the other with a thyroid problem.  We have been able to help them with food baskets and diapers.  There are other families in similar situations that we have been able to help, thanks to the support from Manos Hermanas.”

Karla, mother of three children in our sports program, tells us that before she had to find time to help in the sports program, but now she is glad she has time to help other families in her community that are really hungry.