Food and Water for Puerto Rico
Though Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico over a month ago, a large portion of the island still lacks access to basic necessities.
Supermarkets have been slow to reopen, and those that are open are full of empty shelves. Fresh produce is rare because the agricultural sector suffered enormous losses and imports are complicated. With no running water in many areas, bottled water is in high demand- but two of PR's three producers suffered damages and are not operating at full capacity, making bottled water hard to find and rationed in many places. Many roads are still obstructed and electricity and cellphone communication have yet to be restored, further complicating relief efforts.
FEMA, the Red Cross, and government agencies are distributing supplies, but the demand is infinite and immediate. Like many other Puerto Ricans and outside volunteers, we want to do our part to help meet the urgent needs of our neighbors.
Over the past week we visited several communities that were badly flooded by Maria and its aftermath to deliver supplies donated by many of you. We handed out bottled water, flashlights, batteries, clothes, and personal hygiene products which are all in high demand - but quickly realized the need for clean water and staple foods dwarfs everything else.
We are Daniela, Zuania, and Monique, three biology graduate students studying at the University of Puerto Rico. Our goal is to purchase as much nutritious food, potable water or water treatment and other basic supplies (e.g. tarps for roofless homes) as possible and deliver them directly to communities in need. We could use your help: the more funds we can raise, the more neighborhoods we can serve.
Please consider helping Puerto Rico get back on its feet!
