Tuesday 06 November 2012
Moved by the stressful situations of many families after the September 5th earthquake, several locals have stepped up to offer their time and their resources to help. Here are some of these unsung heroes:
Breakfast Fundraiser in Nosara Buys Food
The Nosara Emergency Committee and the Nosara Development Association were able to distribute 36 grocery bags filled with provisions to families in need, thanks to a breakfast fundraiser held at Lagarta Lodge. The bags contained staples like corn flour, rice and beans, as well as cleaning supplies like soaps and detergents.
Samara Fundraiser Helps Nosara Families Build a New Oven
Emilio Mejias saw a report on the news about the difficulty faced by two families in Nosara who made their living by selling pastries and rosquillas baked in an earthen oven that collapsed during the earthquake. Wanting to help, he collaborated with others at Rancho de la Playa restaurant in Samara to collect food and money with the goal of building them a new brick oven. Mejias was able to collect 50,000 colones to finance the project.
Nicoya Lion’s Club Fronted Rent Money
The Lion’s Club, with 33 members in Nicoya, has been hosting fundraisers and soliciting funds from the Lion’s Club at the national level. They have collected about 4 million colones ($8000) to pay for rent and food, as well as materials to reconstruct houses and clay ovens that were damaged in the earthquake. Jose Luis Leal Briceño, president of the club in Nicoya, said they have paid rent for 15 families in the canton and donated food to 50, and they continue in their mission to help.
Animals of Samara Provided Food
The day after the earthquake, Berit Funke got on the “Animales de Samara” Facebook page to solicit donations for food and medicine for the pets of people being sheltered in the El Torito community hall. With the money raised, she was able to buy 220 kilograms of dog food and 15 kilograms of bird food to distribute in the shelter.
Unsound Heroes of the Earthquake
By Arianna McKinney for The Voice of Nosara
