Support for the Rosado Family

It’s been two months since hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico.  Thousands of families are still without electricity. Many of my colleagues and friends still haven’t been able to communicate with loved ones. People are still being turned away after standing in line for at least four to five hours due to limited donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities. Out of desperation and dire need, people are drinking, or attempting to drink, water from toxic wells and bathing or washing their clothes in contaminated riverbeds.

I have also been affected by this hurricane. Days after hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, I watched as my mom desperately paced our kitchen floor, while she dialed my aunt’s cell phone over and over again. We barely slept, consistently checking our Facebook feed trying to find out any information we could about the conditions in Rincón – one of the smallest towns on the island.  Slowly, communication came and, a month later, we have been able to speak with some family members.

Although my family is safe, their homes suffered some structural damage. My family in Rincón are still without electricity and running water. Hurricane Maria ravaged through my grandmother’s house ripping its entire roof, causing internal damage, and leaving surrounding landscape completely bare. The house and town my mother grew up in is no longer recognizable.

Maria has knocked our house down but not our spirits. After this disaster, my mom’s only wish is to rebuild.  I know how much this house means to her. The memory of my grandmother lives on through this house and I want to support my mom’s dream of preserving it.  The journey won’t be an easy one, but first we must rebuild.  This event is a collective effort to help my family in Rincón, Puerto Rico and to help my mom’s dream come true.