Brasilienses line up to donate to flood victims in RS

Residents and companies in the Federal District answered the call of the Todos Unidos pela Sul campaign, created by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to collect donations for flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul.

Since the weekend, donations have not stopped arriving at the Brasília Air Base and are already filling three hangars in the military area. Vehicles of different sizes — from motorcycles, passenger cars with trailers, to bucket-type trucks — form a long line from the entrance to the Brasília Air Base to the warehouse where they unload the donations.

This Wednesday (8), personal trainer Diogo Leite de Morais waited 45 minutes to have his turn to remove items for the pets rescued from the waters, such as 50 kg bags of dog food and veterinary medicine. “We can’t leave them behind.” Despite saying he is quite worried, Diogo admits he is happy to contribute.

“I’m happy to be able to do something and not just complain or feel sorry at home, without doing something. So, even though we were in traffic, it was totally worth it.”

Another volunteer who arrived with a trunk full of supplies and toys collected from family members was Mrs. Graça Rosa. She considers herself empathetic, putting herself in the shoes of someone who has had the experience of seeing the city where she lives underwater. “I feel good and light and, at the same time, very painful, very suffering about this whole situation, because it’s not easy for anyone. I don’t know if I could resist that situation.”

Mineral water, cleaning products, personal hygiene materials, mattresses and bedrolls, basic food baskets, dog and cat food, bedding and pillows in good condition, clothes and toys. Everyone contributes what they can and want.

Pregnant Luciana Torres made space in her entrepreneurial agenda to help the people of Rio Grande do Sul. She stopped the car and, in less than a minute, the soldiers unloaded contributions from her. “I think that, in truth, we always have to help others. Now, I think this mobilization is essential for the state to recover as soon as possible.”

Many of the donations that are arriving at the Brasília Air Base are the result of fundraising campaigns organized through social networks and cell phone messaging applications. A non-profit foundation in the Federal District managed, in four days, to raise enough money to buy 1,400 blankets, 5,000 rolls of toilet paper and 9,000 liters of mineral water.

The delivery to the military was organized by the institution’s administrative director, Rafael Badra. “Immediately, people started making donations. We asked for cash, and everything was transformed into material to be transported. I think this type of help is essential, at such a crucial time, which feels more like a war. So, we couldn’t stay without participating in this movement.”

The chain of solidarity encompassed the patients of gynecologist Evelyn Carvalho. “I posted a campaign on my Instagram stories. In 24 hours, I raised R$3,880. My friends helped me buy drinking water at a [mercado] wholesale.” In 24 hours, this is the second time that the doctor has returned to the donation collection site. On the first trip, she used her own car. Now, in addition to him, she needed to borrow a truck to transport the load. Evelyn was amazed at the speed of the response to the call, even from someone who has no direct relationship with the state affected by the heavy rains. “I have no relatives in the South, just a friend. But it gives me joy to see that so many people contributed so quickly.”

Delivery and distribution

After traveling the entire route, the cars, lined up, are welcomed by dozens of FAB soldiers, responsible for removing donations from the vehicles and making the line move quickly. They then line up to carry, from arm to arm, the items that have already been sorted and grouped by sector. In 1h30, the Agência Brasil report can see the growth of bales of drinking water and piles of new and used clothes, non-perishable food, animal feed, among others, in one of the three FAB hangars intended for donations.

From the Brasília Air Base, on Monday (6), 18 tons of supplies donated by the population already left, through the Todos Unidos pelo Sul campaign. The destination of the FAB’s KC-30 aircraft was the Canoas Air Base, in the region metropolitan area of ​​Porto Alegre (RS).

The thousands of donations received after Monday, in Brasília, filled three hangars at the Brasília military base. The forecast is that all the material will be transported this Thursday (9) again to Canoas.

FAB military pilot, Breno Souza, explains that sending new shipments of donations depends on freeing up space at the final destination. “The people from the activated joint command in Rio Grande do Sul give us the needs and we were able to send the material there. We limit ourselves to the personnel of this command being able to receive and dispose of this material. Based on the demand coming, with the activation and sending of aircraft to Brasília, we will load and these aircraft will disembark in Canoas.”

How to donate

The population can donate to Rio Grande do Sul, initially mattresses, drinking water, cleaning materials, non-perishable foodstuffs, food, clothes and shoes. To facilitate screening by the military, volunteers who carry out fundraising campaigns advise people interested in collaborating to deliver:

· food baskets that are already closed or that the food is gathered in transparent bags to facilitate transportation and so that the sorting team does not have to assemble the baskets for donation to families in need;

· avoid paper bags, as they tear easily;

· items must be in resistant and preferably transparent plastic bags;

· donated clothes must be clean and in good condition to be used by those affected by the rains;

· donated pairs of shoes must have their laces tied or must be held together with adhesive tape so that they do not get lost;

· Clothes must be in bags with an identified audience. For example: children’s clothing, women’s clothing, adult men’s clothing, etc.

>> Locations for receiving donations:

Brasilia Air Base

Address: Military Area of ​​Brasília International Airport

São Paulo Air Base

Address: Gate G1 – Av. Monteiro Lobato, 6365 – Guarulhos – SP or Gate G3 (Access via the Airport);

Galeão Air Base

Address: Estrada do Galeão S/N

Items received: mattresses, drinking water, non-perishable foodstuffs, clothes, shoes, household utensils

Time: from 8am to 6pm, daily.

At this time, there is no end date for receiving contributions.