Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center

Want to join us in making a difference?  In the Fall of 2017 through Summer of 2018,  with the help of many friends and supporters like you, we delivered significant  support to the needy families and children of Comerio, Puerto Rico to help them recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria on their small mountain home town.  Along the way, for two years in a row, we have participated in the town's "Primer Regalo de Navidad" or "First Christmas Gift" project, which every year delivers a first holiday gift  to the children of Comerio's public middle and elementary schools.  Virtually all the kids attending these small schools in the mountains of Puerto Rico are from financially disadvantaged homes. 

As you can see from the pictures, they touched our hearts with their joy, humility and gratitude in receiving a small gift of joy for the holidays.  This year, we hope to include ipads that we can donate at each school...as a special surprise.....We hope you can join us to this year to support this continuing tradition of bringing joy and cheer to the children of Comerio's schools....

 Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center has graciously agreed to receive all donations for a small administrative fee to support  this campaign.  All net proceeds will be delivered personally by us to the Town of Comerio to fund the gifts delivered to the children.

Any donation YOU can make will help make an impact. THANK YOU in advance, on behalf of the school children of Comerio, for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us. 

Carmen and Evelyn.

More information about Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (SRBCC) is the longest-standing Latino cultural center in Chicago. SRBCC realizes its mission to preserve and promote appreciation of the culture and arts of Puerto Rico and Latin America, with a unique emphasis on its African heritage. As a member organization of The Puerto Rican Agenda, Segundo Ruiz Belvis is one of the Chicago leaders in promoting education about Puerto Rico's arts and culture.

Adopt Comerio Now!

Carmen & Evelyn Hernandez have together pledged $20,000 to this life-saving initiative. This week we have placed an order of food aid (rice, beans, and canned meat) for immediate local delivery  to Comerio.  Clayco, Inc. has also generously donated their company plane to assist us in delivering medicines and other aid on November 1, 2017.   We have created this campaign so YOU CAN help keep this momentum going. 

Puerto Rico has been devastated by Hurricane Maria, creating a humanitarian crisis across the island. Unfortunately, aid has been slow and what you may not know is that while some aid is beginning to arrive, there is a desperate need for food and water across the island.  Comerio , a small town in the central mountains with 20,000 residents, is one of the towns in desperate need of food aid.  During the hurricane, the river rose over 80ft into the town causing catastrophic destruction, leaving 7000 households destroyed with no electricity and the town with no food or potable (drinking) water. 

As of October 12, 2017, more than 3 weeks after Hurricane Maria, FEMA and the National Guard have not fully addressed the lack of food and drinking water in this town.  The mayor, Josian Santiago, who has served this town for 16 years, said in an interview that people are drinking from a contaminated creek and are down to one meal a day and NO drinking water!  

He is desperately asking for our help and has provided us a list of food and medical supplies he needs to save the lives of those living in Comerio.

We would like to #AdoptComerioNow, bypassing all the red tape and getting supplies immediately to the people of Comerio.  We have partnered with the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax Exempt Id # E9941-9017-02)("SRBCC"), for distribution to the hardest hit areas on the island.  

SRBCC has agreed to help us get food and other hurricane relief to Comerio NOW.  In collaboration with SRBCC, we will :  
 - Source market priced food, aid and disaster relief supplies from LOCAL suppliers on the island and can procure these goods locally for faster delivery of aid to Comerio;
- Procure additional food, supplies and medicine to be shipped via donated private flights for delivery to Comerio; and/or
- Coordinate the purchase of medicine, water filtration systems, and solar lighting supplies which will be transported to Comerio WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS (Nov. 1, 2017) via private plane generously donated by Clayco Inc.

Any remaining funds after these initiatiaves are fullfilled may be donated via SRBCC directly to the Municipality of Comerio hurricane disaster relief account: “ComerioSeLevanta” which remains tax deductible under IRS Code 170(c) and IRS Publication 526.

We are committed to supporting these efforts and ask you to join us today in helping to deliver needed hurricane disaster relief to Comerio, Puerto Rico.

You can make a real difference in the lives of Americans in Comerio.

Please donate today!

SRBCC is a member of the Puerto Rican Agenda, a non-profit organization ("PRA"), and the fiscal agent (administrator) of the Pallets and Planes Program.  SRBCC has agreed that funds raised from this page will be designated to purchase hurricane relief aid for Comerio including through: (i) the Pallets and Planes program administered by SRBCC if directed for delivery to Comerio; (ii) aid through food and medical supplies procured by SRBCC from local distributorships with competitive pricing for direct delivery to Comerio; (iii) aid through food, medical and disaster relief supplies purchased by SRBCC in the United States and shipped to Comerio i.e. water filters, solar lighting, batteries, medicines, or other items requested by Comerio for public use); and/or (iv) deposits into the ComerioSeLevanta tax deductible.

All donations greater than $250.00 will receive a tax deductibility donation letter from SRBCC in the first calendar quarter of next year before tax returns are due.  Smaller donations do not require this letter, as you may submit cancelled checks or credit card receipts as evidence of the donation to SRBCC for tax deduction purposes if audited.  You may consult with your tax advisor to confirm.