El Salvador continues to live life under lockdown. On May 7th, president Nayib Bukele further increased restrictions on movement in an effort to curb an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Public transportation was suspended and all private companies allowed to remain open need to provide private transportation for their workers. Additionally, residents are only allowed to leave their homes on specific days that are determined by the last digit of their government issued ID, and are only permitted to travel to the nearest grocery store, bank, or pharmacy.
While support remains strong for Bukele and his fight against the coronavirus, many Salvadorans are struggling to survive as resources run low. The government continues to distribute food baskets, even into remote parts of the country, but meeting everyone’s needs is a difficult task. Many Salvadorans work in the informal economy which has all but disappeared. Taking a cue from their Guatemalan neighbors, some Salvadorans have started hanging white flags outside their house signaling that they are in need of food.
Love and Hope is fortunate that our donor base has been so supportive during this difficult time. We’ve been able to continue to pay our staff, the children have been able to continue their school work, and we’ve been able to continue assisting the families of the children with food baskets and other necessities. But as the needs in El Salvador grow, we feel called to do more. As Salvadorans begin waving the white flags, we want the body of Christ to be the one who answers their call.
The Union Church is an english speaking body made up of missionaries, expats, and locals “following Jesus in Grace and Truth.” We’ve been members there for over a decade. The church property is adjacent to a low-income neighborhood of about 210 homes known as the Mascota Community. The Union Church has worked with the Mascota Community for years: running kids clubs, scholarship programs for the youth, and helping with community improvement projects. Many in the Mascota community are currently out of work and running out of resources. The church has partnered with the leadership in the community to identify the families most in need. The easiest way to help is to provide food.
At current prices, a basket of food costs about $16 and will support an average family for 7-10 days. A basket contains:
- 4 pounds of beans: $3.60
- 4 pounds of rice: $2.40
- 2 pounds of corn rice: $1.20
- 2 pounds of sugar: $1.20
- 1 pound of salt: $0.15
- 1 bottle of oil: $1.75
- 1 bag of powder milk (350gr): $2.50
- 2 packs of spaghetti (200grs each): $1.24
- 1 bag of oatmeal (200gr) $0.69
- 1 bag of tomato sauce: $1.62
Love and Hope will be contributing 10 baskets to start, and we’d love to invite you to provide a basket too! Our hope is that through its network of missionaries and expats the Union Church can provide for our neighbors during this difficult time.
You can donate on our website and the money will be transferred directly to the Union Church to help provide these baskets.
As always, we cannot thank you enough for your support. Next week we’ll be talking about how we’ve been supporting the families of the children in Love and Hope during this time and how you can help with those efforts. If you have any questions about providing food baskets, or are interested in other ways you can help during this time, please email us: contact@loveandhopechildrenshome.com.