Date Published: 18/11/2019
ARCHIVED - Murcia Masons help to hold back the cold in Los Alcázares
ARCHIVED ARTICLE Cold hands and warm hearts in Los Alcázares
The events of 12th/13th September 2019 will be remembered for many years to come around the shores of the Mar Menor, millions of litres of mud and water flowing across the open countryside from Torre Pacheco following hours of a severe Gota Fría downpour, flooding homes and businesses and causing millions of euros worth of material damage.
The silt, mud, debris and non-saline water deposited in Europe's largest saltwater lake would go on to kill hundreds of thousands of marine animals and weeks later roads and homes still bear the marks of flooding in spite of the goodwill of thousands of volunteers who spent days sweeping water and mud out of flooded buildings and helping to clear ruined possessions, the streets filled with the noise of pumps as the Military Emergencies Unit and Emergency Services worked to restore order and evacuate the water.
Work is well underway to repair the damage, restore the beaches and re-establish services and media interest has moved away from those helping in the big clear-up, to demanding answers from the authorities about how they are going to prevent such an occurrence from happening again.
But behind the scenes there is still an enormous amount of work being undertaken quietly by volunteers to restore normality, and support is still needed by municipal services to help those affected.
One organisation which prefers to move quietly and offer support where it's needed is the Freemasons, and volunteers have been out and about as the weather has cooled making sure that assistance continues to flow into the municipality and the needs of residents are met.
Shortly after the disaster, the seven Lodges of the Murcia Region ( two English, One English-Spanish and four Spanish) pooled resources and donated 10 new single and 8 new double beds to those without a place to lay their head.
A second donation of materials followed for children who had lost school books and materials in the floods and as the weather cooled and the damper days started to draw the damp out from the walls, a third donation has now followed, with 36 heaters purchased and delivered to the elderly in the municipality.
Throughout the donation process, close collaboration with councillor María José Benzal Martínez has ensured that the Freemasons bought exactly what was required and delivered it straight to those who needed it, as they will continue to do in the future, supporting the community.
Join the Mar Menor group on Facebook for info about Los Alcázares, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, Torre Pacheco, La Unión and Cartagena and keep up to date with all the latest news and events in the Mar Menor: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarMenorNewsAndEvents/