SAN DIEGO — Heavy flooding in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande Do Sul caused intense damage, injuries and deaths.
“Really bad and sad, they don't have water for like seven days,” Gabriela Consolmagno said.
Gabriela Consolmagno is from São Paulo, Brazil and is one of the organizers collecting donations in San Diego. Even though these devastating floods did not happen in her state, she felt compelled to help people affected.
“So I found an organization in Orlando there collecting donations for it and I decided to contact them to ship in some boxes with clothes, pillows … all this stuff,” Consolmagno said.
Then, she went to the gym and told her friend Anna Daltro. That's when they decided to unite with other volunteers and begin collecting donations of items for flood victims. Days later, there's now dozens of boxes full of essential supplies ready to make their way to Brazil.
The Association of Brazilian Professionals in Logistics in the U.S.A partnered with two other companies by offering containers to go from Miami to Brazil.
In an effort to get the donations collected to the hands of people affected by the floods, this group of volunteers is asking the community for help.
“So we need more people in connection with business and partnership so we are able to get all of these donations faster to Brazil,” Larissa Ricci said.
If you would like to support this group of volunteers you can send an email to sdtorsdonations@gmail.com or S.O.S. Rio Grande do Sul.
Here's the items needed most:
- Baby items such as diapers, rash cream and formula
- Water filters
- Socks
- New underwear
- Bed sheets
WATCH RELATED: Previewing San Diego's first annual Brazilian Day festival