Richard Shephard: Project Manager San Salvador, El Salvador Refugio de Paz Project Managers: Richard and Cathy Shephard Richard and his wife and four boys lived in El Salvador from 1999 to early 2002. With the advent of the two massive earthquakes in January and February, 2001, Refugio de Paz focused its initiatives on earthquake-related relief programs: the distribution of aid and presentations of mental and emotional health programs for people who lost their homes, possessions, and even loved ones. They worked in conjunction with other local and international organizations such as Plan International, and ONUVA. In addition they helped with the distribution of medical equipment, wheel chairs, clothes and food collected in the States by another FCF project, Cheer up Mission. In the weeks following the earthquake, Refugio de Paz hosted seven volunteers who came from the USA (Louisiana and Minnesota) to help in the relief efforts. Some were medical students, one a Shriner clown and the others missionaries. As part of this extensive Cheer Up mission, we helped organize 18 presentations for the earthquake survivors, which featured clown and puppet shows, skits and songs, held in children's hospitals, orphanages, shelters, nursing homes, and outlying villages. The Ministry of Health acknowledged that mental and emotional healing is one of the greatest needs after a disaster of this sort, and local television filmed one of our programs for the evening news.	Ken and Ben performing for the homeless at a tent shelter.
	Despair reflected in the faces of these two young boys.
	Richard with homeless folks, after distributing to them beans, rice, oil, laundry soap and clothes and blankets.

Channel 4 filming our program and the reaction from the crowd.

Refugio de Paz volunteers communicating comfort in song to these precious needy people.

Meanwhile we used the opportunity of the presentations to distribute to the attendees items from the three 40-foot shipping containers full of humanitarian aid shipped to El Salvador by Cheer Up Mission: mattresses, clothes, food, wheel chairs and medical equipment. The El Salvadorian military provided open flat bed trucks to transport these items to different villages where the programs were presented.

One of the more memorable trips took us 3 hours through dust-laden roads to a far away village devastated by the quake.

Richard with homeless folks, after distributing to them beans, rice, oil, laundry soap and clothes and blankets.

Despair reflected in the faces of these two young boys.	Ken and Ben performing for the homeless at a tent shelter.
16-year-old Angie, bonding with the attendees after performing in a skit.	Praying together at the end of one of our performances.
- Cathy giving this little boy some new clothes at Jardin de Amor orphanage. At this particular institution, 30% of the children had AIDS.	Through prayer and the excellent care of the intensive care staff, this little guy, who was buried underground in the quake, survived.

El Salvador Earthquake Relief

By Richard Shephard
FCF Project Manager in El Salvador — project “Refugio de Paz.”

The 7.6 quake hit at 11:40, the morning of January 18th. Miraculously, neither of our two centers were damaged, but it was an awesome experience to watch the pavement of the streets moving and the buildings ripple with the waves. Once the reality of what was happening struck, people began to run in every direction in confused panic. Then it was over just as fast as it began.

One mile from where we live an avalanche that was set off by the quake completely covered 200 to 300 houses with dirt and debris up to 45 - 60 feet deep.

We spent the next eight hours shoveling dirt, manning the bucket brigade, shoulder to shoulder with people from every walk of life, all trying our best to reach any survivors. We had one team digging while my wife and two teenagers brought water and supplies for those laboring in the hot sun. Mass graves were dug for the 500 dead in that area.

On the second day international aid began arriving from the States, Mexico, and other countries. Many victims were being air lifted from other parts of the country where roads were blocked as a result of landslides caused by the quake. Temporary housing is being provided for the 1.1 million displaced.

Since the Refugio de Paz center is located only 1½ miles from where the landslide occurred January 13th; a tragedy which resulted in 800 deaths, we were among the first to appear on the scene to help dig out possible survivors. Our work was filmed, and we were interviewed by NBC news from the States, which was aired the following week.

Manning the bucket brigade trying to unearth victims buried by a landslide.

Richard and Michael helping to dig in search of survivors.

Cathy and Daisy, Refugio de Paz volunteers, at Las Colinas where over 800 lost their lives.

Teenage volunteers, Martin and Chris, manning the bucket brigade in rescue efforts.

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