Rotarian Bruce Dearnley recalls the destruction he saw while delivering aid to Peruvians whose homes had been devastated by an earthquake in August.

“Where they could, the residents tried to build some shelter within the confines of their now-empty property,” he says. “They used corn sacks and bamboo poles, or whatever they could find, to keep out the wind and dampness. Many came up to me and said they were cold, and could I give them a blanket.”

Dearnley was just one of the Rotarians who took action after the quake rocked Peru’s coastline south of Lima, killing more than 500 and ravaging homes, hospitals, and schools in the cities of Chincha, Ica, and Pisco.

A member of the Rotary Club of Blue Bell, Pa., USA, he worked closely with local Rotarians to distribute ShelterBoxes, which typically include a tent, stove, blankets, and cooking utensils.

Peruvian Rotarians were instrumental in providing support, Dearnley says. “Several took the entire week off to help us, and many offered home hospitality. The benefits of a group of worldwide and united Rotarians working together to help improve life for those less fortunate were plainly evident during our stay in Peru.”

Members of the Rotary Club of Chincha provided blankets, clothing, food, medicine, vaccines, and water in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, and they collected money for public latrines, tents, and tarpaulins, as well as community education on sanitation techniques. The club is also fundraising to help fabricate quake-proof cement blocks, which will replace the unstable adobe bricks commonly used to build houses.

Back in the United States, the Rotary Club of Shoreline Breakfast (Seattle), Wash., joined forces with the Consulate General of Peru and Seattle’s Peruvian community to ship two containers of emergency supplies. The club also ran two fundraising booths at a local farmers’ market and collected several thousand dollars to benefit the Rotary Club of Pisco’s disaster relief efforts, says Scott Saunders, the Shoreline Breakfast club’s international service chair. His club plans to make recovery efforts in Pisco the focus of its next major international project.

Another West Coast club, the Rotary Club of Cambria, Calif., passed the hat at a meeting and raised $1,868 to help buy two ShelterBoxes for Chincha.

If you would like to publicize your club’s efforts to help communities in Peru, write to relief@rotary.org.