The horrors of Typhoon Haiyan have rippled across the world and been felt keenly among Epsom's large Filipino community.
Families and schools have risen to the challenge and are collecting money, clothes and even children's shoes for the relief effort.
Johnny Martinez, 45, said crying Filipinos had come into his store Mabuhay Sari Sari, in Waterloo Road, Epsom, to transfer money to relatives back home.
Johnny Martinez at his store Mabuhay Sari Sari in Epsom
Mr Martinez, who was born in the Philippines and lives off Sutton High Street, said: "People have come here in tears, some say they have lost members of their family."
He is Ilocano, part of an ethnic group found in the north of the Philippines, and his family there were beyond the reach of the typhoon.
As a father of three, Mr Martinez said he was dismayed by the story of a man whose children were swept from his grasp by the water.
He said he believed there were thousands of Filipinos living in Epsom with many coming to work at the hospital, nursing homes and the former mental hospitals.
Fifteen per cent of students at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church are Filipino and there is a large presence at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in St Margaret Drive in Epsom.
Maricel Palacpac, who attended the school as a child and whose seven-year-old son goes there now, said 63 boxes were being shipped to the country's capital Manila.
She said: "I can’t believe how much help we were given from monetary donations to clothes and children’s shoes. A lot of kids have approached me saying I want to contribute."
Her parents moved to Epsom in the 1970s and family in Manila were not affected. She said: "It’s shocking, it’s something I could never imagine. It’s a nightmare for those over there."
The Filipino community gather with boxes at the church
Theresa Kenefick, headteacher at St Joseph’s, said they are praying daily for the victims and their families.
She said: "Many of our children have family members in the Philippines. We have all been deeply affected by the tragedy and want to help as much as possible."
Blenheim High School has also got involved in the relief effort after their school canteen worker Ghie Murphy asked for help.
Mrs Murphy, who has worked at the school since about the year 2000, said she managed to collect 15 boxes of tinned food and other supplies for the Red Cross.
She said her friend’s Filipino family had been devastated by the typhoon: "Everything is gone, everything has collapsed and there is nothing left."
Ghie Murphy with students at Blenheim High School
She added: "I don’t even want to see the newspapers. It makes you cry. It’s so terrible, really bad."
The Rotary Clubs of Epsom and Ewell have launched an urgent appeal to help relief efforts by sending shelter boxes while Banstead Rotary Club will pay £1,770 for three shelter boxes, to be sent to the Philippines.
Ghie Murphy with students at school
A newspaper at Mabuhay Sari Sari in Epsom
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