How to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona
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(NewsNation) — Most people are without electricity or running water in Puerto Rico as it was devastated by Hurricane Fiona.
The category 3 storm made landfall on Sunday, causing an island-wide power blackout and dumping “historic” levels of rain.
“The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said.
Puerto Rico has still not recovered from Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 Storm that killed 3,000 people in 2017, before Hurricane Fiona hit. Tarps still cover some homes on the island that were damaged by Hurricane Maria, even after five years.
Dr. Michelle Carlo, medical adviser for Direct Relief, one of the organizations helping Puerto Rico, said rivers are flowing through towns, and bridges are being destroyed by the current.
“It is creating havoc, especially in the center and southern part of the island,” she said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” Tuesday.
Here are some places taking donations to help Puerto Rico:
Right now, Direct Relief is in the “immediate and urgent aid” stage of this emergency, Carlo said. The organization communicates with local health providers to get them medical supplies, its website said, and it has emergency staff stationed in Puerto Rico.
As of Tuesday, Carlo said, Direct Relief has a team headed to a town in Puerto Rico to deliver a generator to a family whose daughter is depending on a tracheostomy to live.
“Our help is very broad, from individual families to nonprofit organizations, and we collaborate as well with government agencies to ensure that call chain is preserved, and infrastructures remain operational,” Carlo said.
Hispanic Federation is providing emergency relief services and supplies to communities affected by Hurricane Fiona.
“Because Puerto Rico is still rebuilding from the damage of Maria, the flooding and power outages caused by Fiona are already far more severe and life threatening than they should be,” the Hispanic Federation says on its donation page. “The next few days are essential to get emergency services and supplies to those who need it most.”
The Hispanic Federation, which was founded in 1990, has a “strong presence” in New York, Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and other states, per its website. Its goal is to “empower and advance” the Hispanic community and Latino institutions in education, health, immigration, the environment and other areas.
People can donate money through PayPal, or also donate by mail non-perishable food items, toiletries, solar lanterns, gallons of water and water filters, among other items. Taller Salud is a feminist organization dedicated to “improving women’s access to health care,” as well as reducing violence and encouraging economic growth “through education and activism.”
Puerto Rico Community Foundation
A Community Recovery Fund for Puerto Rico was activated by the Puerto Rico Community Foundation so it can support the work of non-profit organizations giving aid.
The Puerto Rico Community Foundation began in a forum sponsored by the National Puerto Rican Coalition. It promotes access to renewable energy, drinking water, housing, community economic development and education in the U.S. territory, and partners with different philanthropic individuals, families and corporations.
A social organization for those who want to learn about Puerto Rican culture, the Puerto Rican Civic Club, based in San Jose, California, is taking Paypal donations for items such as solar generators, lanterns and emergency radios. People can also buy the items from Amazon and send them to Puerto Rico via the address on their website.
According to CharityNavigator.com, SBP is a nationally-recognized organization focused on disaster resilience and affordable housing. In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, SBP Puerto Rico’s disaster response team has been on the ground, assessing damage and helping affected people. It also plans to assist communities with debris cleaning, mold remediation and distributing recovery resources.
“SBP has rebuilt more homes than any other organization on the island. Given the resources, we are positioned to rebuild hundreds more,” the organization said on its website.
PRxPR Relief and Rebuild Fund was started by Puerto Rican business leaders living in the U.S. after Hurricane Maria, NPR reported. It focuses on giving food, clean water and renewable energy to “some of the most devastated communities in Puerto Rico.”
PRxPR’s website says it is a “no-overhead fund,” meaning 100% of donations go to the “most critically affected communities.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.