Light and Hope for Puerto Rico

In 2017, Hurricane María brought disaster to Puerto Rico. Two days before María's fifth anniversary, Hurricane Fiona did the same.

After Hurricane María struck, I founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico to raise $100,000 to purchase solar lamps and hand-powered washing machines to distribute to 1,000 families in the town of Loiza. After tremendous donor support and multi-stakeholder engagement, we raised nearly $200,000 and reached 3,500 households across 17 municipalities.

Fiona has exacerbated María's lingering humanitarian effects. The hurricane has produced the heaviest rainfall recorded on the island in 123 years, completely disabling the island's already vulnerable electric grid, leaving 70% of residents without potable water, and severely flooding at least 25 municipalities, where government authorities have already evacuated over 1000 people from homes that are now under water. This number is expected to grow significantly in the coming hours.

Puerto Rico faces yet another humanitarian crisis, so I am reactivating the Light and Hope for Puerto Rico initiative to provide vital support after this disaster.

The money raised through this campaign will be split two-fold. Like Light and Hope for Puerto Rico in 2017, we will use the first part to purchase emergency relief materials such as solar lamps, non-perishable food items, and medical equipment. We will donate the second part to grassroots NGOs in the most affected areas working on food security, health services for the elderly, and youth education. These investments are critical to ensure Puerto Rico's timely recovery and resilience amidst future disasters. All donations are tax-exempt since they are directed to Slice of Good Corp, a 501(c)3 organization.

From me and the millions in Puerto Rico who are once again in the dark, I express my most heartfelt gratitude for your support.

- SGC, 09/19/2022

More about the founder:

Salvador Gómez-Colón is a globally recognized humanitarian advocate and author of Hurricane: My Story of Resilience. One of TIME Magazine's most influential teens and a member of Marvel's Hero Project, he's received the Diana Award for socio-humanitarian work, the President's Environmental Youth Award, and is one of the World Economic Forum's Ten Teenage Changemakers. Gómez-Colón has contributed to TIME, The Independent, and CNN, among others.