A BETTER LIFE ! ISSUE 13 | Page 4

ISSUE № 13, NOV 2018 2 An Outpouring of Love and Sharing ! The nation of Trinidad and Tobago should feel proud of its unplanned jerk reaction towards the severe flooding events over the weekend of Oct 18th 2018 and beyond. The nature of the flooding was such that a national disaster was declared over the period of the floods and thereafter. It is estimated over 120, 000 people were directly affected, many of whom were displaced from their homes. Even before Corporate Trinidad had the time to plan their own fantastic re- sponses to the disaster, many every day citizens took up the slack to get directly involved in giving support and help to their fellow brothers and sisters in distress. Using every thing from vans to trucks to boats and even jet skis, the hundreds who gave their time to lend support provided every thing from cooked food, canned food, personal and hygiene prod- ucts , toiletries, detergents, clothes and even food for pets in people’s hours of need. Many who were stranded inside their flooded houses and even on top their roofs were rescued by the residents from far and nearby communities . Those with less resources even managed to ensure the established relief centers remained contin- uously stocked with supplies for those occupying the shelters. Free services offered included free power washing, free pump repairs, free auto care and even free temporary child care services. It may well take weeks and even months for many to be restored to normalcy but TT can stand proud that as a country they can show a massive level of empathy and outpouring of love for their fellow country folks. Many have lost everything and may still require much help going forward. Beyond the First Responders, rendering assistance to those inconvenienced is everyone's business.