Shimoga, October 01, 2020: The devastating floods in August 2019 rendered thousands homeless in the State of Karnataka. The situation in the district of Shimoga too was not different. For hundreds of families who lost their houses completely the future seemed bleak. The pressing poverty on one side and the loss of personal belongings on the other forced several families into unprecedented pain. The damage caused by the floods of 2019 was beyond one’s imagination. Those who lost everything were at the mercy of people of goodwill for immediate support. At a moment when people were losing hope, the Diocese of Shimoga through the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society filled a ray of hope in the minds of people through pressing itself into immediate action. The Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society provided immediate relief material in the form of essential food items, clothing, bed linen, toilet articles, medicine, school accessories, etc. to 485 very needy families.
The humanitarian work of the diocese continued in mobilizing funds for the rehabilitation work. The diocese of Shimoga mobilized funds from all the Parishes, Mission Centres, Religious Communities, Educational Institutions and people of goodwill for the purpose of supporting flood victims to repair the damaged houses or reconstruct the collapsed houses. The Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society too mobilized funds from different sources for the same cause of providing a new lease of life to those who were on the verge of losing hope. The fruit of the initiative and tireless efforts from the Diocese of Shimoga, the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society and the generosity from the part of benevolent donor agencies and individual donors is the joy on the faces of 27 families who received support for the construction of 27 new houses and 40 families who received support for the repair of damaged houses. Of the total 67 houses, Caritas India provided financial support to repair 33 damaged houses and partial support for the construction of 08 houses. The Archdiocese of Bangalore through Caritas India supported the diocese of Shimoga to construct 07 new houses. Carmelite Fathers of Karnataka-Goa Province supported the diocese to build 01 new house, and the Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa through KRCR supported the diocese to build 01 new house.
The new houses constructed with the support from the Archdiocese of Bangalore were inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiaries by Most Rev. Dr Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bangalore and Most Rev. Dr Francis Serrao SJ, the Bishop of Shimoga on 17 September 2020. On 01 October 2020 09 new houses were inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiaries by Most Rev. Dr Francis Serrao SJ.
Of the 27 new houses 14 houses are given to families from Hindu community, 09 houses are given to families from Muslim Community and 04 houses are given to families from Catholic Community. Of the 40 families who received financial support to repair their houses majority belong to other communities.
Through this noble humanitarian act, the Diocese of Shimoga and the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society have succeeded to communicate to those who had lost hope that God still loves the humanity through benevolent people. Families who are seeing the brighter days of their future are grateful to the Diocese of Shimoga and the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society for wiping the tears from the eyes. The Diocese of Shimoga and the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society remains grateful to all the donors for the generous support. The details of the amount collected for the purpose is as follows:
Caritas India Rs 33,00,000.00
Archdiocese of Bangalore Rs 28,00,000.00
Diocese of Shimoga Rs 9,47,664.00
Amount collected by SMSSS from various sources Rs 6,72,322.00
Carmelite Fathers, Karnataka-Goa Province Rs 5,00,000.00
Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa through KRCR, Bangalore Rs 5,00,000.00
Caritas Prague, Czech Republic Rs 2,41,858.00
KROSS, Bangalore Rs 2,00,000.00
Maxie and Reena Pinto, London Rs 50,000.00
Mr Xavier Dietl, Germany (EUR 600) Rs 46,963.00
CCU Staff from The Royal Marsden Hospital, London Rs 26,000.00
Reema D'Souza, Mangalore Rs 30,000.00
Melroy D'Souza, Mangalore Rs 20,000.00
Veronica D'Souza, Mangalore Rs 20,000.00
Melwyn D'Souza, Mangalore Rs 10,000.00
Total Rs 93,64,807.00
MAY GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO STOOD BY OUR SIDE IN OUR NOBLE WORK OF PROVIDING SHELTER FOR THE FLOOD VICTIMS ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES.
Rev. Fr Clifford Roshan Pinto
Director
SMSSS, Shimoga
Earlier News:
- One More Family receives New Lease of Life through Carmelite Fathers
- Seven Families Receive New Lease of Life through the Archdiocese of Bangalore
- SHIMOGA DIOCESE/ SMSSS LAUNCHES INTO ACTION
- Updates on the Flood Relief Work in Shimoga Diocese
- Updates on the Flood Relief Work in Shimoga Diocese
- More Relief Material Distributed
- Relief Material Distributed to the Flood Victims
