The Government of Honduras has reported 346,134 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders and 9,081 COVID-19 related deaths as of September 7, 2021.
Even before COVID-19, Hondurans were managing multiple crises: food insecurity, health, protection, and water and sanitation. A report by reliefweb found that about 1.3 million people needed help in those areas.
Central American relief organizations such as the Honduran Red Cross are scrambling. “This whole situation has increased extreme poverty in the country; many people have lost their jobs,” said Carlos Colindres, National Risk Manager of the Honduran Red Cross.
Adding to the challenges, thousands of people cannot return to their homes due to the damage caused last year by hurricanes Eta and Iota. Of the roughly 100 schools, community centers, and churches used as shelters, people with nowhere else to go still use six.
The Savage-Rivera Foundation will host a locally organized donation drive for underprivileged families in Honduras during Hispanic Heritage Month in response to the many crises.
Photo Credit: Savage-Rivera Foundation
Founded in 2015, the Savage-Rivera Foundation is a mission-based nonprofit in New Canaan providing impoverished Honduran families with essential items.
“Honduras was hit harder by COVID-19 than most other nations in the region. Without the proper medical and everyday supplies, these children and their parents can barely survive, let alone thrive. Any bit of assistance we can provide makes all the difference to some families,” said Mike Savage, founder of the Savage-Rivera Foundation.
Savage and Sandra Rivera, husband, and wife, have been dedicated to helping the less fortunate in Sandra’s home country of Honduras since they met in 1998.
The Savage-Rivera Foundation has shipped over 150 boxes of donated clothes, toys, books, and household items in the past year.
The Clothes Drive for Honduran Families begins on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. To learn more about the foundation and the event, visit https://savageriverafoundation.org/ or email savageriverafoundation@gmail.com for more information.