Yesterday the Human Services Department went to shelters around the city giving out warm food and mattresses. Today, it was city residents' turn to get their supplies. Teams went into different communities handing out cereal, water and cleaning supplies to those who are back at home or at least trying to rebuild their houses. The Counseling Coordinator in the Human Services Department told us more about their relief efforts.
Onando St. Bernard, Counselling Coord., Human Services
"We are here in the Belama area at this phase 4,3,2,1. Since Thursday we've been out distributing food packages, cleaning supplies and also now mattresses. Food supplies, we've probably distributed over 100 packages, but that's just for Belama. There are other teams in other parts of the city such as Collet and Lake Independence, where they are distributing the same things, food packages, cleaning supplies and mattresses. Looking at the food packages, you have basically the canned goods, corn flakes, cereals, things like that. We're also 
distributing water too, which could either be in the 25c ideal bag or in a one gallon bottle. The cleaning supplies are brooms, some mops, detergent, disinfectant, Clorox - that pretty much covers the cleaning supplies that we're giving out to people. Some homes suffered extensive damage with the roof, walls, and floors so the assessment covers that and we carry that back in so that NEMO can do further work based on that. We also send out tarps to help people cover up in case the rain comes down. We've been doing pretty well, I think that the people are looking after each other very well too because we find that people are living in other people's homes which is wonderful. They're very supportive, working well with us, letting us know if they really need or if not because they too understand that if they don't really need then there's other people who need."
Elvia Torres, Belama Phase 2 Resident
"Slight water got into it."
Courtney Weatherburne
"You've lost a lot of your belongings?"
Elvia Torres, Belama Phase 2 Resident
"Yes a lot of my baby clothes and the mattress, I thank them for the mattress and thank the good Lord that this didn't come so much. Thank you Lord for everything that we had."
There are about 7 teams distributing food items in various parts of the city.
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