Church in El Chirote, Panama, stays standing after earthquake and serves as daytime shelter for families

The small chapel of El Chirote, where parishioners gather each Sunday for Mass, stayed standing when an earthquake struck the community and seriously damaged nearby homes.

The building now serves more than a place of prayer. Its walls have become a meeting point and a daytime shelter, and a gathering center for more than 12 affected families.

El Chirote is in the La Pitaloza district of Los Pozos, where the earthquake’s epicenter has left more than 3,000 residences affected. The community is primarily agricultural and lies about three hours from the head of Los Pozos. Distance and difficult access make it hard to move aid, so the arrival of food, medicines and other supplies is especially important to residents.

Neighbors arrive at the church early in the morning and stay through the day. Inside, they receive and organize donations sent by people who want to support affected families. As night falls, however, fear of new aftershocks leads residents to leave the church and sleep in the open field.

Aid is also beginning to reach the community by road. An organized group of young volunteers has moved from the head of Los Pozos into hard-to-reach areas using dual-wheel-drive vehicles to carry supplies and assist victims. Among them is Brian Gaitán, a member of the volunteer group, who arrived in El Chirote accompanied by medical personnel. The team delivered bags of food, mattresses and other essential supplies to families, along with donations from citizens who responded to the call for solidarity (Hebrews 13:16).

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)