Residents of Diego Martin and environs have received an outpouring of support from several companies since the devastation of last Saturday's floods.

One week after two men lost their lives and others suffered massive damage to property, the Diego Martin Regional Corporation yesterday said it has collected a generous donation of soap, toilet paper, napkins, pens, notebooks, exercise books and many other school supplies from John Dickinson and Company West Indies Ltd.

The company joins a list of others that have already donated goods and services to help ease the burden on the residents.

"John Dickinson recognised the need to assist the children in the region," Anthony Sammy, chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, said yesterday.

"The Corporation knows that the nation shares sympathy for the flood victims and that many people are helping in this ordeal. We urge them to continue sending their donations to the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Disaster Management Unit, located on the North Coast Road," Sammy said.

"This disaster is unfortunate and the donation will help replenish school supplies lost in the disaster," he said.

In a media release, Blue Waters Products Ltd said it had also donated over two truckloads of Blue Waters bottled water on Saturday "immediately after the disaster struck and the area was declared a disaster zone".

"Our drivers... help[ed] deliver thousands of cases of Blue Waters to the Diego Martin Regional Corporation, so that families affected by the flood can receive pure, clean bottle drinking water. We have also linked with other non-profit organisations and donated hundreds of cases through them," a media release stated.

The company said it was offering discounts with free delivery to the Diego Martin Regional Corporation or Red Cross on the company's behalf to facilitate anyone wanting to purchase water for the people in the area.

The Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society has also been in the field, reaching out to help the thousands of people affected by last weekend's flooding.

The response effort began at home, as the Society's compound at Fitzblackman Drive was badly hit by flood waters early Saturday morning. The Society said its staff and volunteers did well to maintain business continuity in the face of the multiple requests for assistance.

"The [Red Cross] personnel rose to the challenge, however, and immediately activated its Emergency Operations Centre, and answered the call of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation for Shelter Management and Emergency Operations Centre support," the organisation said.

The Red Cross also said that by yesterday, citizens had distributed food supplies, household cleaning materials, clothing and personal hygiene kits in Richplain, Ravine Road, Cameron, Petit Valley and other affected areas.

"We have been greatly helped in this area by the generosity of the national community, particularly through the efforts of many individual donors. Our corporate partners have also offered manpower, supplies, services and financial aid to the cause," the Red Cross said.

The group said Alstons Marketing Company Ltd, Atlantic LNG, Bermudez Biscuit Company Ltd, Digicel, Energizer, Flow, Genethics Pharmaceuticals, Guardian Media Ltd, Jimmy Aboud, Johnny Q, Mode Alive, Newsday, the National Gas Company, Parex Resources (Trinidad) Ltd, The Kids of Rainbow Rescue, Skyline Freight, Trinidad Express and the Trinidad and Tobago Mortgage Finance Company Ltd had contributed.

"We also have firm commitments from Scrip-J, Neal and Massy, the Chamber of Commerce, Costaatt, Petrotrin, Clothespin, CL Communications and others for support, goods and services in the coming days," the Red Cross said.