Making a Way Out of the Wreckage

Yaretzy gave birth to her second child just two days before a Category 5 Hurricane hit Acapulco, Mexico. “We thought it was just a storm, not a disaster that would leave us with nothing,” shares Yaretzy. Her family was sheltering in place at home when winds ripped away their roof. She says, “I was very scared, just crying the whole time, screaming, and asking God to make the wind stop. I said to myself, my baby is going to die; my newborn is going to die.”

When the hurricane ended, her family wondered how they would fix the damage. “The roof on my house was all broken down, I felt like crying, but I stayed strong for my family,” shares Yaretzy’s husband, Alfonso. He says, “There is also no work as a waiter right now, so there is no income.”

The family spent three days getting wet from the rain and had nothing to eat. “I just wanted all of this to be a dream, but it was real,” recalls Yaretzy. 

Then Operation Blessing came to their community and provided disaster relief supplies—including food boxes and water. When they learned that items for their baby had been ruined, Operation Blessing surprised them with gifts for their newborn and toys for their son. “We barely slept that night looking at all the gifts," Alfonso told me. “We would never have been able to buy all of this ourselves,” says Yaretzy. 

Operation Blessing paid for materials and hired a company to put a new roof on their house. “The roof is vital to protect us from everything: the sun and the rain. Thanks to you, we have one now,” reveals Alfonso. Yaretzy says, “Now the house is complete, and the children have space to play. They're safe at home. Thank you to the people who support Operation Blessing.”