Plenty was my next to favorite thing about the Farm although it is hard to speak of Farm things in terms of "favorite" etc. My son was born on an old schoolbus that had been a Plenty bus, I have always thought of that in a good light. He is altruistic now and always has been I wonder if the Plenty bus had something to do with that. :))

October 10, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HURRICANE IRIS SLAMS SOUTHERN BELIZE Hurricane Iris, a compact, category 4 storm bringing 18 foot sea surges, 145 mph winds and six inches of rain slammed into southern Belize Monday night, demolishing hundreds of homes and leaving at least 9,000 people homeless. Today, people are standing around in shock along the roads and beside their ruined homes and demolished crops, wondering what to do next. The rural subsistence farming Mayan villages in Belize's southern Toledo District were hardest hit. Because they are inland, these villages were not prepared for this kind of storm impact. San Pedro Columbia, one of the largest villages in the Toledo District, had 204 homes completely destroyed and 150 badly damaged. The villages of Big Falls and Silver Creek were reported to be "flattened". Other villages reportedly hit very hard were Indian Creek, San Marcos, San Miguel, Laguna and Medina Bank. Twenty-six of 56 rural schools in the district are said to have been destroyed. Corn, rice and cacao crops, the source of food and income for local families, have been severely impacted. Immediate and urgent needs are for emergency shelter, food, and water. Fortunately, no loss of life has been reported in the villages. A staff member of Plenty International, a non-profit organization which has worked for 10 years in the Toledo District in health and agriculture projects, relayed this report: "Martin Ack of San Miguel village told us that there are about 80 houses completely down there, including his own. Another 30 or so lost their roofs. The hand pumps are raising only brown water, and people are afraid to use it, so water is a high priority need there. Food aid is reaching them, and people have some stockpiles that they are saving for when food aid runs out. They got a new water system only a month ago, but now have no power to run it, and are unsure anyway about possible contamination. Power lines are down everywhere. Martin told us how his father did not want to leave the house, but finally, when the wind started getting really strong, he persuaded his mother and brothers to go to the shelter with a concrete roof. He described the sound as like thunder, or a forest fire approaching. Then his father finally agreed to go as well. They made it there about 7:30 PM, and the highest winds came about 8 PM and lasted till about 9 PM. At 11 PM the wind had settled enough to look outside, and that is when they saw the devastation. People were crying, could not believe their eyes." "He advised, and others have confirmed, that rebuilding is going to be extremely difficult. The forest has been reduced to stumps and broken pieces. Cohune palms (used for roofing thatch) are either knocked down or damaged. Mature trees are broken, and young ones are too small or also broken, so few will be usable for thatch, even if people can reach them and drag them back through all the deadfall." Plenty International, through its affiliate office in the Toledo District, is providing emergency food aid and potable water and will be working with local and international agencies and friends to help meet the most pressing needs, as well as longer term reconstruction efforts and food aid. If you can help with a donation, we are able to wire money directly to our Belize office within 24 hours. 100% of your donation will be used for emergency relief. Construction volunteers are also needed. For more information, please call (931) 964-4323. To make a tax-deductible donation, please make your check payable to Plenty International - Hurricane Relief, and mail it to PO Box 394, Summertown, TN 38483. In Belize you can mail donations to Plenty Belize, P.O. Box 72 Punta Gorda, Toledo District or call 722198 or email plentybz@btl.net For more updates and photos visit the Plenty website at www.plenty.org or email Plenty International plenty1@usit.net. In a world already suffering from too much devastation, here is more suffering that is not covered in the international media but urgently needs our attention. Thank you.