On April 29, days of heavy rains in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, hit a breaking point. The heavy rain wasn’t unusual for the season — the same region had flooded just a year before — but this time, the rainfall was unprecedented. Rivers broke their banks, leaving small towns and major cities like Porto Alegre covered in feet of water.  

It was the worst flooding in Brazil in almost a century and a sign of the ever-increasing danger of a warming planet. Millions were left without power, water, and phone or internet service. Hundreds of thousands were displaced while others were trapped behind inundated roads and destroyed bridges. Authorities have reported 170 deaths from the flooding.  

One of the key responders supporting government efforts was Sesc Mesa Brasil, a network of 95 food banks and member of The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN). Food banks are often frontline responders in the face of intensifying, climate-related natural disasters because they have pre-existing bonds in their communities and the logistics experience to deliver goods where they’re needed. As part of the social services non-profit Sesc, which has recreation and aid facilities across the country, the Mesa Brasil member food bank in Rio Grande do Sul was able to respond immediately to the crisis and help provide care and shelter to the displaced.  

Through GFN, Canpotex, Corteva, and the John Deere Foundation sent emergency funding to directly support Sesc Mesa Brasil’s work supplying food and other essential supplies to hundreds of thousands of victims of the flooding.  

Mári Estela Kenner, aid and health manager for Sesc in Rio Grande do Sul, spoke to GFN about the initial moments after the flooding and the complicated work of responding to disasters. 

GFN: What were the first hours and days after the flooding like? What did you feel when you began to understand the impact of the flooding? 

Kenner: The first hours and days were spent assisting people in flooded areas and evacuating at-risk areas. The experience was like nothing we’ve ever been through before. We had memories of flooding from 2023, but after a few days, we understood that the scale and impact of these floods would be much worse, impacting many parts of Rio Grande do Sul state simultaneously. Initially, there was a feeling of helplessness but at the same time we were thinking about the immediate actions that could mitigate the impact.  

When did Sesc Mesa Brasil’s response to the emergency begin?   

Mesa’s response is always immediate. We activated the national support networks, we identified donation reception locations with support from Civil Defense, and we assessed our own flood-damaged facilities, all without ceasing to serve people in our facilities that continued to operate. 

What did Sesc Mesa Brasil’s response look like day-to-day?  

We deployed several lines of action. One was receiving and distributing donations, both emergency supplies and food: in just over one month after the flooding (through June 4), we distributed 358 tons of food, 167,000 pieces of clothing, 111,000 liters of water, 90,000 hygiene and cleaning items, 21,000 household items like mattresses and bedding, and 5 tons of pet food.   

Another was offering meals and shower facilities at the Sesc facility in Canoas. We were providing showers for 1,000 people per day and 1,500 meals per day. 

We were also offering accommodation and four meals per day to 300 displaced people at each of our Sesc facilities in Montenegro, Camaquã, and Protásio Alves. 

How difficult were the logistics and distribution of products given the damage and continuous rain? 

The difficulty of land logistics has been tremendous, as we have many roadblocks throughout the state. Therefore, it can take a lot of time for donations to reach their destination, but we did get them to their destinations. It took a lot of coordination with our partners and other humanitarian aid organizations [to make] sure food could also reach regions without land access, [where it’s needed] most. In those cases, we coordinated with Civil Defense so they could deliver donations by helicopter. 

Can you tell us about someone you met who had been affected by flooding and was assisted by Sesc Mesa Brasil? 

There are many stories of loss but also so many of solidarity. We always have great concern for the most vulnerable, especially children and the elderly. One [person who] we followed closely was taking shelter with us. He was an elderly man, he was alone, and he had difficulty walking and talking. He had been released from the hospital and got lost in Porto Alegre on the day of the flood. One of the concerns in situations like this while sheltering people — work that goes beyond our normal responsibilities — is trying to reunite families. With the support network of our Sesc facilities, after a few days we managed to find his sister, who was also looking for him. Today, he is reunited with his family in another city. The family was very grateful for all the care. Our feeling is also one of gratitude for being able to make something like this possible within such a difficult scenario.