BUCKETS!

Today I was the team leader for the "bucket" team. We assembled buckets with cleaning supplies that will be distributed to people in the neighborhoods worst hit by the flooding caused by Tomas. The buckets include a mask, two hand scrub brushes, 2 sponges, 2 bars of soap, 2 pairs of gloves, a plastic cup, and directions for how to clean and sanitize using the materials handed out in our distributions. Along with the bucket, people will recieve 2 gallons of bleach, a push broom, and a Haitian broom (think witches broom for a visual). The buckets also have a little blue handprint spray painted on them. We completed 451 buckets today, although 159 of them still need a handprint because we ran out of spray paint and the store wasn't open today.

The next distribution was scheduled to happen tomorrow, but the push brooms we received had different broom heads that didn't work with the broom handles (the heads were wood and the plastic handles didn't fit in the holes) so we had to push the distribution back to Wednesday. Our replacement broom heads (the correct ones) are supposed to come tomorrow, but we'll see if that happens. This is disappointing, but it's not a huge deal - we just hope that people will come back on Wednesday.

All Hands does their distributions differently than most of the other NGOs. Usually we don't do distributions, but we saw a need and applied for grant money to do this and it is great that we are able to help in this way. Our distributions are done in smaller groups and people are invited and get in with a ticket. We have had teams of volunteers going out into the community and assessing houses. Those who most need cleaning supplies are given tickets for a distribution/demonstration slot. At the distribution, some of our local volunteers give a presentation and demonstrate how to use the cleaning supplies and explain the importance of using the supplies correctly. We want to make sure that people not only clean out the mud from their homes, but also sanitize after the mud has been cleared out because of the bacteria and other nastiness that is present in the mud and is left behind if only water is used.

I can't believe I have less than a week left...I don't want to leave...