The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is working intensively through its solidarity truck to help victims of the recent extratropical cyclone in Rio Grande do Sul. Besides preparing meals and washing clothes, ADRA's mobile unit has also been offering psychological assistance and distributing hygiene kits and basic food baskets.

Those in need can benefit from its services according to the established schedule. Starting at 8 a.m., the washing of clothes begins, and at noon, the distribution of meals starts.

According to the data from June 19, 2023, the solidarity van assisted 70 people stranded in the area, distributed 50 hygiene kits, assisted about 200 people who took an average of 10 pieces of clothing each, sanitized clothes for 35 families (about 700 kilograms), and served 620 hot meals, totaling 1,080 services. 

In addition, ADRA has already distributed 90 new mattresses to families in Caraá and Viamão. The truck remained in Novo Hamburgo until Wednesday, June 21, when at night it will move to another city, awaiting the designation of the service location. 

The service provided by the solidary truck includes, besides meals and laundry (24 hours), psychosocial care with a social worker and a psychologist. The people assisted are registered and receive clothes, hygiene kits, blankets, and, starting June 20, basic food baskets. The daily expectation was to distribute about 100 food baskets.

In the middle of the support action, Daniel Fritoli, ADRA's director in Rio Grande do Sul, paused to reflect on the importance of humanitarian work in this moment of crisis: "We are here to serve the community in this difficult moment. The situation is challenging, but with solidarity and collective effort, we can overcome the obstacles and help those affected by the cyclone to recover faster."

About the Truck

The ADRA solidarity truck is a mobile humanitarian aid unit that operates in situations of natural disasters and social emergencies. With 45 square meters of usable area, it is divided into three specialized compartments: one for the preparation of hot food, capable of serving up to 1,500 meals per shift; another for washing and drying clothes, with the capacity to deliver up to 500 kilograms of clean clothes per day; and a third reserved for psychological care. In its mission, it has already served more than 110,000 meals, washed 150 tons of clothes, and provided countless psychological services, helping communities around Brazil to deal with the devastating consequences of disasters.

About ADRA

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency is a global humanitarian aid organization that operates in more than 107 countries. Through its initiatives, ADRA seeks to transform lives and strengthen communities through sustainable solutions in the areas of community development, disaster management, and promotion of justice.

The original version of this story was posted on the South America Division Portuguese-language news site.