Puerto Rico: Hurricane Relief and Social Support

Friends:

On November 13, I will be competing in a half marathon (literally the longest I've ever run at one time) to raise much-needed funds and draw attention to the ongoing relief efforts in Puerto Rico, a place near and dear to my family and me.

If that's already enough info for you to donate, great! Go ahead and click donate now (takes 60 seconds). For any donations over $100, I will gladly send you an original photo print of your choosing from www.jesse-kornbluth.com.

If you'd like to learn more about the why behind this run, keep reading:

Earlier this fall, Hurricane Fiona swept across the Island, leaving extensive structural damage, environmental devastation, and island-wide blackouts and water shortages.

Fiona magnified the challenges to the ongoing rebuilding efforts post-Hurricanes Maria and Irma (That was now five years ago. Crazy, right?). Following Maria and Irma's destructive footsteps, Fiona once again shined a bright light on the profound federal government neglect, corrupt utility and infrastructure contracts, and climate change that Puerto Rico faces every hurricane season... and every day.

In the absence of adequate government support, community-level Puerto Rican NGOs have stepped up. Big time. All cliches aside, in Puerto Rico, it is always neighbors helping neighbors.

Here's where you come in:

I will be collecting funds to distribute to two local Puerto Rican nonprofits providing essential aid and filling vital resource gaps; Taller Salud and Techos Pa 'Mi Gente. (And if you're a dog person, feel free to throw in a little extra for Soul of Satos, just leave a note with your donation). Learn more about each of their unique and critical work below!

Techos Pa 'Mi Gente (TPMG Corp.) is a non-profit organization, 501(C)3, dedicated to constructing dignified roofs and rehabilitating housing in communities affected by natural disasters. It improves the quality of life of the individuals who make up these communities, promotes self-management and provides training in basic building skills to build resilience. https://en.tpmgcorp.org/

Taller Salud is a community-based feminist organization dedicated to improving women’s access to health care, reducing violence within the community, and encouraging economic growth through education and activism. Founded in 1979, Taller Salud is an independent, non-government-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. https://www.english.tallersalud.com/we-are

The Sato Project is dedicated to rescuing abused and abandoned dogs from Puerto Rico. The municipal shelter system in Puerto Rico is drastically overwhelmed, with only five shelters across all 78 of the island’s municipalities. These shelters have a combined euthanasia rate of over 94%. Through 6 key initiatives, the Sato Project has rescued over 6,000 dogs to date. https://thesatoproject.org/our-mission-tsp