The Samoan Community of San Antonio TX joins together in a Tsunami Relief effort for friends and families back home.
[Courtesy Photo]
(BASED ON PRESS RELEASE) — In the aftermath of the earthquake and the Tsunami that hit our Samoan islands, Samoans living in San Antonio, Texas rose to the occasion.
Almost immediately an organization was established to spearhead a relief drive. Called the Samoan Community of San Antonio, the organization has paired up with the Samoan Congregational Christian Churches from San Antonio, Ft. Hood/Killeen, and Arlington, Texas.
Despite the bad economy, the community of San Antonio has opened their hearts and offered donations to the relief effort. Donations were a combination of clothing, food, and money.
The relief effort has united the Texas Community together, doing everything they can to support our people in American Samoa and Independent Samoa. Families in the three communities in Texas have lost loved ones in the disaster. The sense of relief comes from their strong Christian faith, bringing each community together in mutual respect seeking spiritual comfort.
Even though we are so far away our thoughts and prayers are as close to our homeland as we could ever be. Most of the youth involved in the effort were born in the states yet they are filled with pride and love for their people back home. Instantly they felt the obligation to volunteer.
The Arlington Community headed by Rev. Perenise Taito shipped their first container to the islands, while the Fort Hood Community headed by Rev. Menise Sasa has collected more than $10,000 dollars, not including imperishable items for their relief effort. The San Antonio community headed by Rev. Tony Naotala and the SCOSA organization members are planning to deliver their first “push-packet” in the coming week.
It is an ongoing endeavor and we pray that the help we have provided so far will be a blessing to our people back home. Most of those living in San Antonio are not able to make it home to be with their families in these times of need, but the relief effort is one way that we Samoans from Texas and all over the world can say, “We will never forget.”
From the Big State of Texas, God bless American Samoa and independent Samoa.
