HONDURAS – Hurricanes Eta and Iota: Partnering with Habitat for Humanity Honduras and the Rotary Club of Pedro Sula to deliver aid to over 3,000 families who lost their homes to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Eta was a category 4 storm which made landfall in the first week of November, bringing torrential rains and fierce winds to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. In Honduras, around 1.8 million people were caught in its destructive path with flooding and landslides cutting off more than 103,000 people across 69 communities.
SYRIA – Conflict displacement: As the Syrian crisis enters its tenth winter, the scale, severity, and complexity of humanitarian needs remain extensive across the country as a result of ongoing conflict and violence leading to internal displacement. ShelterBox is distributing aid items in time for the harsh winter ahead. So far, 1,450 families have collected vital shelter and household items to help them keep warm and dry, such as mattresses, high thermal blankets, ground mats and solar lights. To help mitigate against the spread of coronavirus, we are now including reusable face masks, soap, and a plastic wash basin in the aid package.
NIGERIA – Conflict displacement: With our partner ACTED in Nigeria, they support 1,548 families across two camps with emergency shelter kits. The security context across the north of Nigeria has recently become extremely volatile, with the Non state armed groups (Boko Haram) increasing their attacks and reducing the space for humanitarian activities. As well as the constant threat of violence, displaced men, women, and children have been severely affected by the recent rainy season. Heavy downpours have damaged thousands of shelters, leaving many families vulnerable.
PHILIPPINES – Typhoon Goni (Rolly) : Super Typhoon Goni, the world’s strongest storm so far this year, made landfall in the southern Bicol region of the Philippines at the beginning of November. The typhoon sustained winds of 140mph and gusts of 174mph, followed by torrential rain, rivers overflowing, and submerged villages. Almost 110,000 homes were damaged by Goni, with around 30,000 of them destroyed. Less than a week after the storm hit, we mobilized aid from our warehouse in the Philippines to support 5,147 families whose homes had been destroyed. 3,024 of those families will be supported with a shelter kit and household items, and 2,123 with tarpaulin, rope, nails, and household items including solar lights and water carriers.
ETHIOPIA – Conflict displacement: Escalating tensions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the regional leadership in Tigray erupted into armed conflict in November. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands have been displaced. More than 40,000 people fled across the border into neighboring Sudan. By the end of the month, the government had captured the regional capital, Mekelle, and claimed to be in full control of Tigray. The UN says it now has an agreement with the Ethiopian government to allow humanitarian access. Supplies of emergency shelter, household essentials and hygiene items in response to the crisis in Tigray were sent and to stem the spread of coronavirus, tarpaulins, rope, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water carriers, and kitchen are being provided.
INDIA – Flooding: Torrential monsoon rains and severe flash flooding has been rife across most Indian states since June. This had led to over 17 million people being affected across the country. Intense downpour has heightened an already vulnerable situation, as many families are still recovering from the devastating effects of Super Cyclone Amphan which tore through the Bay of Bengal in May. With partner Habitat for Humanity India (HFH India), they are supporting people affected by the floods in Odisha, where emergency shelter including tarpaulins and household items remains a priority need for thousands of families.
Here are some mental health resources courtesy of Kathleen Merriam:
Crisis Line of Hawaii 800-753-6879
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & HOMELESSNESS STATEWIDE UNIFIED RESPONSE GROUP. We are here to help. You are not alone. If you or someone you know are experiencing distress or a painful emotion and need support:
https://health.hawaii.gov/bhhsurg/ 808 586-4400
Mental Health America. For over 75 years, they have been Hawaii’s leading mental health education and advocacy organization, educating and organizing our community to enhance mental wellness for all Hawaii’s people. The importance of mental wellness has been brought to the forefront. We must keep this conversation going and reach out to those struggling with feelings of isolation or depression and make sure they know help is available.
http://mentalhealthhawaii.org/ 808 521-1846
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI works to educate, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones. NAMI Helpline 800-950-6264 or text “NAMI” to 7417410in a crisis.
The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse is a peer-run national technical assistance and resource center that fosters recovery, self-determination, and community inclusion, serving individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition, peer-run service and advocacy organizations, family members, mental health professionals and service providers, policy makers, and the public.
https://www.mhselfhelp.org/ 800 553-4539
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
https://www.samhsa.gov/ 800-662-HELP (4357)
There is a well-known portion of the Hebrew Scriptures which says, “To everything there is a Season, a time for every purpose under Heaven.”
In this crazy, locked down, bottled up, socially distanced time in which we live at the moment, one has to wonder if there is any purpose to this global health crisis, if there is any real purpose under Heaven for what we have all had to endure.
As we come to the end of 2020 -- a year that will go down in infamy (to borrow Roosevelt’s famous phrase) – we need to stop and look at where we are and what we’ve done. Indeed, I believe we need to celebrate the Season – this Season under Heaven -- that it was for Rotary.
So, let’s be thankful for all of that. And let’s always acknowledge our deep appreciation for spouses, partners, and family members who join us in service with Rotary. Let’s be grateful for outstanding leadership from the District Governor, incoming District Governor, our new District Governor nominee, our Assistant Governor, our Club Presidents and Presidents Elect, and all the committee chairs and members who make all of what we do function. And let’s hold onto our optimism and clear vision for the future. None of that has changed. COVID may have created challenges we never thought we would face. But COVID has not defeated us, nor our brothers and sisters around the world. We pray for them and the whole world community. And we trust they pray for us.
“To everything there is a Season, a time for every purpose under Heaven”. 2020 was not the Season we had planned or wanted. But it is strangely one that has called us to our best purposes -- to a renewal our global commitments, to a new energy for local projects, and to being a stronger, more genuine, caring, loving community than we have ever been.
So, as we end this Season of 2020 and look hopefully to 2021 -- to a new vaccine, to a reinvigorated world community, to another year of “service above self”, let’s lift a glass and be thankful for who we are, where we have been, and where we will go.
Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year. Here’s to all of you.
Thank you to District Vocational Service Chairs Bob Peterson and Robert Jackson for supporting Rotary Small businesses with the business directory, the Rotary Marketplace and this opportunity for our Rotary businesses to offer a holiday special to you. The Zoom Marketplace takes place on the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Next one is Feb 2.
