Aerial Recovery Group wrapped up their first mission to Honduras last week, and our Volunteer Corps came back forever changed. In order to understand the full scope of what Honduras is facing, we wanted you to hear the powerful and impactful stories directly from them. 

Jeremy Locke, Aerial Recovery Group:
“Many people in Honduras live well below the poverty line, and in the aftermath of Eta and Iota, and unfortunately people lost everything due to the massive flooding. Entire villages are underwater and residents were forced to move to higher ground. What most don’t know is that it rained nearly everyday for a month which created even more devastation. Millions of people are displaced. Most of the crops for next season are destroyed. Famine and disease will soon set in and on top of that, COVID 19 is beginning to run out of control, slamming the already overloaded health care facilities. Groups like Aerial Recovery Group and Cepudo Foundation are exhausting all...

The Aerial Recovery Volunteer Corps has been in Honduras for the past 9 days and just closed out their first recon mission to the area. It’s been eye-opening to see the extent of the damage on the ground and how many people have been left with nothing. There is a long road ahead for the country, between rebuilding and revitalizing the nation and the economic repercussions that natural disasters bring. The most pressing issue remains providing shelter, fresh water, food and basic necessities for thousands who have been displaced. It's been three weeks since Hurricane Eta first made landfall, and there are still hundreds of people who have not been reached and are still without any aid. 

Over the course of the past week, our team has bravely provided critical relief and emergency aid to hundreds of people throughout San Pedro Sula and the surrounding communities, despite treacherous conditions and massive flooding making these efforts nearly impossible. The team was able...

On November 21, Aerial Recovery Group deployed a team of volunteers to San Pedro Sula for a 9 day mission to help with emergency aid and relief efforts following Honduras’ worst natural disaster in more than 20 years. Hurricanes Eta and Iota hit the area only days after each other, leaving many small towns in need of aid still completely cut off from support due to treacherous water levels. With homes washed away from floods, no electricity due to wind damage and infrastructure severely damaged, thousands of residents are left with little to no basic necessities such as food, clothing, toiletries and fresh water.

In order to provide the critical help that the country of Honduras needs, Aerial Recovery Group has partnered with organizations on the ground to team up and meet the needs of as many people as possible. 

For this volunteer mission, we are proud to be working alongside Food For The Poor. Food for the Poor is a Christian based ministry that has been impacting...

The level of devastation the Aerial Recovery Group’s Volunteer Corps are seeing in Honduras is heart wrenching. The country is experiencing unprecedented and dangerous flooding, with whole communities knee deep in water. Homes have been completely wiped out, people are living under tarps, and villages are under water. A large population of farmers have lost all of their land, except for the few livestock who were able to escape the flooding. 

San Pedro Sula - the country’s economic center and home to 2 million people - has been the hardest hit area in the nation. About 2,235,000 people were impacted by these record setting storms. Flooding and winds damaged roads, bridges, communication infrastructure, and are creating dangerous mudslides. While en route to San Pedro Sula, the Aerial Volunteer Corps witnessed many families living on the side of the road in homemade tents because their homes had been washed away. The devastation from Hurricanes Eta and Iota has left...

Caring for your mental health after a hurricane is often an overlooked subject, but it’s critical to address as the effects are proven to be severe and long-lasting when not acknowledged. 10 years after Katrina, residents are interviewed there saying they still struggle with depression. (Source: Katrinas Emotional Legacy). 

Just as we have the opportunity to come back stronger and rebuild our homes and cities better than before, there is also an opportunity to strengthen our mental health better than prior to the crisis. In a disaster, we can respond in one of two ways. We can grow our own resilience by adapting and overcoming the pressure, or give into stress by feeling inadequate and focusing only on what we cannot control. 

After Hurricane Sandy, more than 20 percent of residents reported PTSD, 33 percent reported depression and 46 percent reported anxiety. After Hurricane Harvey, 800,000 people continued to suffer from anxiety and depression long...