PECES INC.

  The Community Sustainability Center was created by Programa de Educación Comunal de Entrega y Servicio (P.E.C.E.S., Inc. ) and Voz Activa to address the needs of Punta Santiago, Humacao and the eastern region of Puerto Rico on the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September of 2017.    The Center will facilitate a recovery process following the principles of sustainable, just, and community-based development. It will foster the evolution of both P.E.C.E.S. and the eastern region.    Our work covers these main areas:
•Emergency relief: distribution of first response aid, like canned food, water, and personal care articles.
•Protecting community rights: education and support regarding citizens and consumers rights on topics like insurance, mortgages, loss of personal documents and other legal processes.
•Community empowerment: workshops and training on participatory processes, sustainable community-based planning, communication for development, and other topics.
•Long-term sustainability and resilience support: facilitating networks and alliances for renewable energy sources, sensible planning and rebuilding, and community preparedness; also, promoting that construction, social work and other services needed are locally based and from providers who take solidarity and sustainability into account when doing business.

   Your support will help us both immediately and in the long run. You will be funding basic relief, and also the planning and educational processes needed so our communities do not have to suffer this ordeal again.

Support the revitalization of the fishing village in Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”  Unknown author.

Punta Santiago has a population of approximately 5,500 in an area of 2.4 square miles. Three communities lie within the area: Villa Palmira, Verde Mar and La Playa. This seaside community is well known for its contribution to the local seafood-dependent markets with the catch of species like grouper, whahoo, snook and blue crab, among others. The the fishing village had restaurants, kiosks a pier and other places where families and visitors could enjoy the areas's beautiful scenery.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in the Southeast corner of the island - precisely where Punta Santiago is located - and these communities were severely impacted by the storm surge. Many homes were flooded and destroyed and the fisherman from the Punta Santiago Fishing Village Cooperative lost not only their homes, but also their boats, the engines, their equipment, the refrigerators and freezers and all the infrastructure of the fishing village complex and market, an essential part of the community.

With your donation, you will be contributing to the restoration of this fishing village and its surroundings. We are currently raising $50,000 to restore the area, provide fishermen with new motorized boats, fishing equipment, storage areas, kitchens, refrigeration and other equipment that are necessary for the fishing cooperative complex. In addition, with the area's revitalization, we will be helping to facilitate self-sufficiency and start moving the economy of the restaurants and kiosks of the region and thus restore and stabilize the community that depends so much on the seafood that is caught in its waters.

All the funds that are collected will be managed through the Our Lady of Carmen Parish in Punta Santiago with the supervision of Father José Colón.

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 Apoya la revitalización de la Villa de Pescadores en Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

"Dale a un hombre un pescado y lo alimentas por un día, enseña a un hombre a pescar y lo alimentas para toda la vida ". Autor desconocido.

Punta Santiago tiene una población aproximada de 5,500 en un área de 2.4 millas cuadradas. Tres comunidades se encuentran dentro del área: Villa Palmira, Verde Mar y La Playa. Esta comunidad costera es conocida por su contribución a los mercados locales que dependen de los productos del mar con la captura de especies como el mero, el pez gato, el róbalo y el cangrejo azul, entre otros. El área de la villa de pescadores tenía restaurantes, quioscos, un muelle y otros lugares donde las familias y los visitantes podían disfrutar del hermoso paisaje de la zona.

El 20 de septiembre de 2017, el huracán María tocó tierra en la esquina sureste de la isla, precisamente donde se encuentra Punta Santiago, y estas comunidades se vieron severamente afectadas por la marejada ciclónica. Muchas casas fueron inundadas y destruidas y los pescadores de la Cooperativa de la Villa Pesquera de Punta Santiago perdieron no solo sus casas, sino también sus barcos, motores, equipo, refrigeradores y congeladores y toda la infraestructura del complejo y mercado de la villa, una parte esencial de la comunidad.

Con su donación, contribuirá a la restauración de esta villa de pescadores y sus alrededores. Actualmente estamos recaudando $ 50,000 para restaurar el área, proporcionar a los pescadores nuevas embarcaciones motorizadas, equipos de pesca, áreas de almacenamiento, cocinas, refrigeración y otros equipos que son necesarios para el complejo cooperativo pesquero. Además, con la revitalización del área, ayudaremos a facilitar la autosuficiencia  y comenzaremos a mover la economía de los restaurantes y kioscos de la región y así restablecer y estabilizar la comunidad que depende tanto de los peces y mariscos que se atrapan en sus aguas.

Todos los fondos que se recauden serán administrados a través de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen en Punta Santiago con la supervisión del Padre José Colón.