Spain. On 29 October 2024, the Dana weather phenomenon hit several areas of Spain, in particular the region of Valencia, causing heavy flooding with breakup of the banks of rivers, streams, and canals, causing more than 200 deaths, extensive material damage to housing, infrastructure, and crops, lack of electricity and drinking water.
Reached by telephone, the Provincial of Mary Help of Christians Province (SPA), Sister Charo Ten expressed herself thus, “There are no words. Thank God the communities in the area – Valencia, Torrent and Sueca – have not suffered damage and we had no victims, but certainly we know people who have lost someone, or have had consequences. The whole diocese has mobilized and our communities have made themselves available for fundraising and aid to those who have suffered damage. We are still speechless. Thank you for the remembrance and prayer.”
All the communities have shown their solidarity from the beginning by providing resources and aid to respond to this emergency. Torrent was the most affected locality, especially on the outskirts of the city and in access and communication infrastructures. The FMA community and the staff of the educative works have been active to respond and collaborate with all initiatives that have sought, from the first moment of urgency and extreme need, to offer immediate help for the most basic needs of the population.
People evacuated from their homes are housed in a municipal sports hall, which also coordinates the distribution of meals and psychological and emotional support for those affected. Another point is the food bank, where resources for the population are collected, classified, and distributed. In another sports hall in Torrent, where goods arrive in large quantities, the parish cooperates with the parishes in the classification, packaging, and distribution of clothes.
The House of Torrent is collaborating in all initiatives and places that can be reached.
At Mary Help of Christians School, while school lessons are suspended, teaching staff is contacting families to learn about their situation and help those who have been affected.
The Mary Help of Christians Foundation, in collaboration with the Municipality of Torrent, made available two vans to transport food, clothing, and hygiene materials, which many people had brought to the municipal hall. It also opened its facilities to offer showers and snacks in the following days, and an assessment of its target groups living in the most affected areas was made.
Various projects have been implemented with available resources. A calendar of reception and activities has been offered to both children and adolescents, as well as adults, so that normality can be restored as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the distribution of basic necessities continues. A fundraising campaign has also been launched to help the families of Torrent affected by Dana, to support and accompany them in the coming months.
The city is trying to collect and distribute the generous donations of material goods from the first days, a task that, despite the collaboration of many volunteers, is proving enormous. In the meantime, work is also proceeding on the reconstruction of the infrastructure for access to the city, which has been severely damaged and is essential for recovery.
In Valencia too, the whole Educating Community was involved to respond to the most urgent needs. The house has launched an appeal to all the projects in place to collect food and hygiene items, in coordination with Caritas Valencia for distribution. The students of the Maturo are responsible for collection and sorting. Clothing and basic necessities were also collected and distributed through local associations.
The youth center La Valponasca a network has been created through WhatsApp to provide information on the different requests that come in. The Past Pupils have also mobilized and are participating in the operations organized by the Valencia Municipality.
At Mary Help of Christians School, the pupils prepared drawings and letters with messages full of love and hope for children and families affected by this situation. The school has already started to welcome students from affected villages who have been left without a school. All enrollment questions are being answered, especially for Early Childhood and Primary.
The Sueca house has also been involved in all the ongoing initiatives. Many families, teachers, and Past Pupils have gone to nearby towns and villages to help clean up, remove mud, make sandwiches, distribute water and basic necessities.
Mary Help of Christians Schoola has resumed classes as a reception center for students from schools affected by the floods.
The signs of solidarity of the other Houses of the Province are numerous: collection of food, cleaning materials, water bottles, sleeping bags, blankets, flash lights, boots, personal hygiene products, pet food, and other basic necessities. Also, with initiatives such as the sale of sweets, solidarity tents, collectibles, events to raise funds, and with gestures and prayer moments, in solidarity with all those affected and in memory of all the victims.
On 6 November, before the general audience in St Peter’s Square began, Pope Francis laid a flower before a statue of the “Virgen de los Desamparados”, patron saint of Valencia, a gift from the people of Valencia hit by the storm. “I wanted it to be here” – he said indicating it – “Today, in a special way, we pray for Valencia and other areas of Spain that are suffering from floods.”
On Sunday, November 3, at the end of the Angelus, he asked for prayer for these people: “What can I do for the people of Valencia? Please? Can I offer something? Think of this question”.
As for economic aid, Mary Help of Christians Province is making emergency donations through the three NGOs to Caritas Valencia, with the aim to respond to the needs caused by Dana in the region. The Province counts on the prayer and solidarity of all the Educating Communities in the world.
You can send contributions and offerings in the manner indicated on the FMA Institute website, by designating Emergency Spain.
