OGDEN — Two Utah women who have gathered three warehouses full of donations for flood victims in Brazil need help.
Angela Cooley and Margareth Barros are originally from Brazil, but now call Utah home. When they saw the historic flooding in their home country, they couldn’t stand by and watch without helping.
“We have friends there in Rio Grande do Sul… and in other nearby cities that was affected,” Cooley said. “Friends who lost everything, absolutely everything, had to swim out of their house and are sleeping in these terrible conditions. And right now it is winter in Brazil and they are wearing sandals, shorts and t-shirts.”
The devastation in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is compared to Hurricane Katrina.
“I saw so many natural disasters living in Florida that we lost everything, but we have the support to rebuild, reunite and rebuild within our family,” Cooley said. “That is not what happened in Brazil.”
Cooley went to his employer, Z Clear Lens Cleaner and Anti-Fog, for help.
“She came to me and asked if I had heard what was going on in Brazil, and I had only heard a little about it,” said CEO Chris Ward. “We ended up sitting down and analyzing what happened, and we realized the need not only for me, but for all of Utah and the United States to help Brazil.”
Right now, their 12,000-square-foot warehouse is filled with boxes labeled in Portuguese containing diapers, clothing and hygiene items.
“At first we thought it was going to be something very small,” Cooley said. “We already had 40,000 tons of donations.”
They have filled Cooley’s office warehouse in Ogden, another warehouse in Springville and a third in Las Vegas. Cooley and Barros met other Brazilians along the way.
“We never thought the community was this big in Utah,” Cooley said.
Two Utah women who have gathered three warehouses full of donations for flood victims in Brazil need help getting the collected items to those in need after a transportation deal fell through. (Shelby Lofton, KSL TV)
They had agreements with an airline to transport the merchandise to Brazil, but they failed.
“Unfortunately, because of the amount and amount they have already accumulated there in Florida, they can no longer come here to pick up donations,” Cooley said.
They are desperate for financial donations to help cover the transport costs of at least three trucks. They have created a GoFundMe* to receive support.
Cooley said they have partnered with organizations that are looking forward to your donations.
“Now we have to get it to Miami and then we’ll take it from Miami to Brazil,” Ward said.
Cooley said Brazil is not receiving the help that other countries receive. She and Barros believe they can make a difference one truck at a time.
“Let’s unite, the world, because we are one, right? “Everyone is human,” Cooley said.
The women said they want to focus on getting this shipment of donations to Brazil. They will then assess the need and can receive more donations later.
Anyone who would like to help or has questions can contact them at Angela@z-clear.com.
*KSL TV does not guarantee that the money deposited in the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering making a deposit into the account, you should consult your own advisors and proceed at your own risk.
Read the full story at ksltv.com
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