Tropical Storm Nate

We have more news from Costa Rica about the effects of Tropical Storm Nate on our Bricks to Bread families. This summer we connected with two wonderful families about the possibility of building ovens at their homes. Daysi’s family lives in Heredia Province and has informed us that their home and town are doing well. We are very thankful for that!

Jenni’s family however, in Guanacaste Province, did not escape Tropical Storm Nate’s wrath. They live in the District of Filadelfia which was hit hard with major flooding. The family is doing okay, but as you will see in the video they sent us, they are very lucky. Jenni’s family is a recipient of a Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica home, which was built on stilts. To the left is a picture taken at their home this summer and from the video below you can see how high the water level is. We are thankful to have heard from Jenni’s family and hope the water level recedes quickly leaving little damage to their home and town.

We understand you may wonder what this could mean for a future Bricks to Bread oven in the case of a natural disaster. Can it hold up to flooding like in Filadelfia? We have developed a wonderful relationship with an organization named Urbarium. They are experts on the different regions of Costa Rica, the weather, and architectural needs. Moments like this are why we continue to build relationships with local contacts and organizations.  They not only identified Jenni’s family as a perfect recipient for a Bricks to Bread oven, but they are also working with us on designing an oven that will be able to withstand the environment where Jenni and her family live. They will be there to assist us when we build the oven and they will continue to play a vital role is supporting Jenni’s family once the oven is built. We believe building local relationships is key to the success of Bricks to Bread and Tropical Storm Nate is just one example why.

Right now we are focused on the safety and well-being of our future oven recipients. Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by Tropical Storm Nate.

Previously:
Friday, October 6, 2017

You may or may not be aware, but there is another devastating storm out there affecting a place near and dear to our hearts, Costa Rica. Tropical Storm Nate made landfall in Central America on Thursday. With wind speeds of 80 mph and torrential rains it has killed at least 22 people across Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. Life threatening floods and mudslides are expected in parts of Costa Rica and Central America. The storm is moving north towards the Gulf Coast this weekend where a hurricane watch is in effect.