POZA RICA, Mexico — The Church has provided additional food for thousands of non-members in this southeast coastal area who lost their homes in flooding the first week of October. The food has come from donations by local members and from the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City. Food has also gone to help those who lost homes in an earthquake in Oaxaca on the west coast of southern Mexico.

In the past two to three weeks, Church assistance has provided 20,000 food boxes, enough food for 100,000 people for a week, said Garry R. Flake, director of the Church's Humanitarian Service. The Church has worked with the Mexico Office of Disaster Assistance, which has helped distribute food and clothing to non-members. In some cases, the emergency supplies were delivered by government helicopters to remote areas. An additional five truckloads left Salt Lake City for Mexico on Oct. 28.

Terry J. Spallino, director of temporal affairs for Mexico, accompanied one helicopter shipment to non-members in the village of Aguacatal, near Puerto Escondido. "The kids ran out of the school when they heard us approach," he said. "Octaviano [Tenorio, Mexico Welfare Services manager] and I grabbed a batch of quilts and took them over to the kids while the crew unloaded the supplies. We pulled a couple of quilts from the ropes that bound them and then the kids became excited and started tugging to free the others. Once someone got hold of a quilt, he or she started down the path to the village. It was an amazing experience. If only the sisters who made them could know how precious the quilts are to these children who have never touched anything of such quality."

Delivering food boxes and quilts among the members was also meaningful. One delivery was made to Olga Donada of Puerto Escondido, a widow with six children. In 1998 when her husband died, she took her oldest child out of school to help support the family. "She cried when when she saw what we had brought her," said Brother Spallino.

Elder Carl B. Pratt of the Seventy, president of the Mexico South Area, said the governor of Oaxaca and his wife had expressed appreciation to the Church for the relief efforts in that state for victims of both the flooding and the earthquake. He also praised the students at the Church's Benemerito School for their energetic assembling of 4,300 food boxes.

Elder David R. Stone of the Seventy and first counselor in the Mexico North Area presidency said that a substantial outpouring of relief from local members helped alleviate the suffering of some 60 families of members who lost their homes in the recent floods.

He said that no deaths of members from the recent flooding have been reported.

"We currently have approximately 60 families in the Poza Rica, Poza Rica Palmas and Papantla stakes whose homes were destroyed or gutted by flood waters," said Elder Stone.

"The outpouring of help from the saints in Mexico for their stricken brothers and sisters has been outstanding," said Elder Stone.