Hurricane Maria Relief, Arroyo Fam.
Donation protected
My name is Gilbert Arroyo and I have been leaving in California for the last 38 years but I was originally born and raised in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. On September 20, 2017, Puerto Rico was devastated by hurricane Maria, with nobody anticipating the impact that this monstrous storm would bring the entire Island. With sustained winds of 155 miles per hour and 200+ mph gusts, thousands of families completely or partially lost their houses while many others suffer damages caused by inundations, landslides or the rain. The whole island power grid collapsed, potable water service was greatly affected and all communications were lost.
As most of you know, the majority of my family resides in Puerto Rico. I have four sisters, two brothers and many nephews and nieces. Most of them reside in Ad juntas, a small rural town with a population of about 20,000. Adjuntas is located on the central Midwest of the island on the "Cordillera Central". Because of its elevation, the sustained winds and wind gusts were more amplified than in other areas. At least 1500 houses lost their roofs or got completely destroyed. It took me over two weeks to communicate with my family due to the lack of communication throughout the island. One of my sisters was finally was able to call me and told me that everyone was fine but that one of my sisters lost part of her roof and the water caused damage to her furniture, beds and other property. Another niece lost her entire roof and the majority of her furniture. Many other family members had some minor property damages (as in broken windows and minor water damage).
I want to thank my family and friends that showed concern about the status of my family in Puerto Rico as well as generously offering their help. It is going to be a long recovery and the future of the island is very uncertain. However, my family is very close together and supports each other as well as theirs neighbors in any way that they can. They are positive and remain in good spirits. When asked if they need help, they decline but I know that they really can use a hand to help them get back on their feet, especially my sister (Luz M. Arroyo) and niece (Jessica Arroyo).
I started this GoFundMe campaign to financially help my family to at least recover some of their essentials, especially the family members most in need. They may get some help from the government but that help is usually very limited and slow. I really appreciated your generosity and friendship. Once the Money is collected, I'll withdrew the money and wire up the money to my sister and niece via Western Union so they can use it to pay for any needed repairs to their properties and to buy essential lost property. If needed, depending on their needs, I may buy and ship any articles that they can't find on the island. I'll pay for any cost involved with any transaction including shipping or postage (GoFund Me donations will not be used to pay for the logistics of delivering/sending the help).
As most of you know, the majority of my family resides in Puerto Rico. I have four sisters, two brothers and many nephews and nieces. Most of them reside in Ad juntas, a small rural town with a population of about 20,000. Adjuntas is located on the central Midwest of the island on the "Cordillera Central". Because of its elevation, the sustained winds and wind gusts were more amplified than in other areas. At least 1500 houses lost their roofs or got completely destroyed. It took me over two weeks to communicate with my family due to the lack of communication throughout the island. One of my sisters was finally was able to call me and told me that everyone was fine but that one of my sisters lost part of her roof and the water caused damage to her furniture, beds and other property. Another niece lost her entire roof and the majority of her furniture. Many other family members had some minor property damages (as in broken windows and minor water damage).
I want to thank my family and friends that showed concern about the status of my family in Puerto Rico as well as generously offering their help. It is going to be a long recovery and the future of the island is very uncertain. However, my family is very close together and supports each other as well as theirs neighbors in any way that they can. They are positive and remain in good spirits. When asked if they need help, they decline but I know that they really can use a hand to help them get back on their feet, especially my sister (Luz M. Arroyo) and niece (Jessica Arroyo).
I started this GoFundMe campaign to financially help my family to at least recover some of their essentials, especially the family members most in need. They may get some help from the government but that help is usually very limited and slow. I really appreciated your generosity and friendship. Once the Money is collected, I'll withdrew the money and wire up the money to my sister and niece via Western Union so they can use it to pay for any needed repairs to their properties and to buy essential lost property. If needed, depending on their needs, I may buy and ship any articles that they can't find on the island. I'll pay for any cost involved with any transaction including shipping or postage (GoFund Me donations will not be used to pay for the logistics of delivering/sending the help).
Organizer
Gilbert Arroyo
Organizer
Murrieta, CA
