A day of extreme rainfall struck Bahía Blanca, Argentina, on March 7, 2025, triggering river flooding and seawater backflow. When the water finally drained away, many residents were left with damp, moldy rooms and damaged walls—homes still standing, but hard to live in.
Reaching families who were still struggling
Bahía Blanca is about 650 kilometers from Argentina’s capital. Distance made follow-up difficult, yet it mattered: volunteers returned repeatedly to confirm needs and avoid missing households that might fall outside initial support.
They traveled several times—April 7–9, again on April 24, and again in July—each trip involving a roughly 10-hour drive one way, or about 1,300 kilometers round-trip. While government services and the Red Cross had already provided some assistance, volunteers continued with in-person assessments and door-to-door visits to better match aid with need.
In Cerri and Ingeniero White, they walked alleyways with Andrés (a local fire brigade chief) and Nora (a Caritas volunteer), stepping through mud and into homes where the smell of mold still hung in the air. Names and household details were recorded and rechecked so distributions would be accurate—and so residents would know they had not been overlooked.
LEFT: Volunteers review the list with Andrés, removing names of people who did not live in Cerri and confirming firefighters were included. Photo: Shu-Yu Chiu. (邱淑玉) RIGHT: Aid is distributed at a Caritas church in Ingeniero White, with a cross at the front and a portrait of Dharma Master Cheng Yen displayed. | Photo: Kui-Man Chung
A card that let people choose what to replace
The formal distribution took place on Sept. 19–20 at a community center in Cerri and a Caritas church in Ingeniero White. A total of 574 affected households received Visa prepaid cards, issued through a bank partnership, worth about US$200.
Inside the church, local volunteer Pen Hui (本慧) read a letter of support from Master Cheng Yen. Some residents, worn down by months of cleanup and uncertainty, teared up as they listened.
LEFT: Local volunteer Pen Hui reads a letter of comfort before the distribution, and many flood survivors tear up. RIGHT: From Sept. 19 to 20, cash cards were distributed in Bahía Blanca at a community center in Cerri and a church in Ingeniero White, benefiting 574 households. | Photos: Kui-Man Chung
After the distribution, residents formed a long line to greet volunteers, offering hugs and cheek kisses—common gestures of thanks in Argentina.
When support flows both ways
Among the volunteers was Shu-Yu Chiu (邱淑玉), who had struggled for nearly a year with severe frozen shoulder and adhesions that made lifting her arm painful. Over two days, she repeatedly opened her arms to return survivors’ embraces. Later, she found her shoulder had loosened significantly. She said, “I went to help with disaster relief, but the survivors ended up becoming my rehab therapists—using love to hug open my long-standing illness.”
A refrigerator that safeguarded medical treatment
During follow-up visits, volunteers met Inez, 79, who needed regular insulin injections and peritoneal dialysis. Her medicine required refrigeration, but her home did not have a refrigerator.
Volunteer Shu-Ying Chiu decided not to risk an unreliable secondhand unit and purchased a new compact refrigerator with her own money.
LEFT: After the distribution, a vehicle carries the refrigerator purchased by volunteer Shu-Ying Chiu to the home of Inez, 79, who needs insulin injections. RIGHT: Inez cries when she sees the brand-new refrigerator. She never expected strangers to bring something she needed so urgently. | Photos: Kui-Man Chung
When the refrigerator arrived, Inez wept and asked,
“I don’t know you—why are you so good to me?”
For her, it meant something immediate and practical: medication could now be stored safely, protecting treatment in a period when even small disruptions could become dangerous.
Recovery takes time
The Sept. 19–20 distribution was the result of months of travel, coordination, and verification. For the 574 families who received prepaid aid cards—and for Inez, whose daily medical routine became safer—help arrived not as a single moment, but as a sustained effort to make life workable again after the flood.
Written by Kui-Man Chung (鐘貴滿), Hsiang-Hui Huang (黃湘卉)
