By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

Mothers and daughters folded clothing, high school students shouldered crates of water and senior citizens sorted out cans and jars of food Monday, preparing a truck load of donations for Venezuelan flood victims.

The parking lot of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City was dotted with boxes of blankets, folded-up wheel chairs, bottles of water and packages of diapers, as volunteers worked steadily to get the emergency supplies packed for shipment via UPS to the most devastated regions of Venezuela.

Pedro Carillo, organizer of the relief effort, was overwhelmed with the community's generosity. “It really restores your faith,” he commented.

Carillo is a native Venezuelan and a parishioner of Holy Trinity. He and Elsie Ramos, a fellow parishioner, initiated the drive for food, clothing, water and first aid supplies just one week ago. By Monday morning, the truck's trailer was filled to capacity.

Significant cash donations were made as well. “People have been just coming up and giving me checks,” Carillo said.

According to news reports, the death toll in Venezuela has reached 50,000, with another 250,000 people left homeless. A 60-mile stretch of the country's coast was affected by the floods and mud slides last week.