Hurricane Relief - Puerto Rico
Donation protected
UPDATE 11/21/2017 -
Our initial fundraiser was a complete success! We raised a combined total of $2,300 and helped over 50 families with supplies especially in the housing complex of Luquetti located in Yauco, PR.
Our new goal is to continue helping the families in Luquetti which was devastated by the massive flooding due to the River Yauco. Water rose upwards of 5 feet high leaving these families with nothing left.
Their current situation is dire. They have been told to relocate and their efforts have been useless. Apartments are either too expensive, for sale or abandoned leaving the families in their homes full of mud and no electricity. The floods continue since the rain has been pretty consistent.
The National Guard distributes snacks, not sustainable food, once a week. They are starving, living in very poor conditions and no real help has found its way over.
Around 25 families currently live there surrounded by mud and no electricity. I believe they do have potable water which still is questionable and should be boiled before consumption.
We invite you to view the documentary from our first trip back in which we helped those families in Luquetti here: https://youtu.be/N74i4XXrsrw
We appreciate all the help we can get. We have started our organization Stardust Foundation
Thank you!
xo,
Melissa
-----------------------------
Initial goal:
The objective is to aid up to 50 families in Yauco, Puerto Rico and surrounding municipalies – a rural area in southwest Puerto Rico especially hard hit by the Hurricane Maria. Due to its remote location, it is taking even longer than normal for basic services to be restored. Meanwhile, with limited resources; including now potable water and gasoline; the situation is actually becoming more dire as time goes on. People in these areas cannot get to the larger communities such as San Juan or even closer urban areas, such as the nearby city, Ponce, as the lines for gas and other supplies are often days long, and they need to conserve what little gas they have left in case of emergency. What relief has arrived, though well-intentioned, is often in the form of food which is ultimately unusable - because many natural water sources have tainted, so any food requiring water can’t be cooked (spaghetti or other wheat-based foods for example).
We aim to deliver roughly fifty boxes to families in these neighborhoods containing many supplies that are immediately usable and can help ease the burden for a week or two as more long-term relief efforts continue to take shape. Not only will this include food, but basic power sources (solar powered lanterns and phone charges) to allow for communication and other basic needs while power is being restored.
The supplies will be picked up in several points along the way as not everything will be available in the same location – some will be bought on amazon and shipped, a van will be rented in San Juan where some items will be picked up, others in Ponce, and some actually will be able to be delivered directly to Yauco where another member of the team will be able to receive them safely. We will assemble the boxes at a home in Yauco and distribute to families in these hard-hit communities in the following days.
The below list of intended items is based on first-hand experience of what is needed in this community. The items will be adjusted based on support, with at minimum the cases of bottled water and solar chargers being delivered. Several fundraisers are in progress to raise at least the minimum funds required.
Personal note from Melissa Lomax (Otero):
Growing up in Yauco, Puerto Rico, I have been blessed with the islands rich culture, love and beauty. Having experienced first hand the devastation from Hurricane Maria, I cannot sit back and wait for help to come. My parents, one sister, other family members, friends and more still live there and they are truly suffering. I have documented the preparations, the experience during and the aftermath of the hurricane and I ask you to please join me in help bring these families some much needed help in the south west of the island. The funds will go towards three things I believe are very useful right now: Solar lightbulbs, solar cell phone chargers, mosquito nets and water purification tablets.
Thank you for your love and compassion. We hope to continue spreading the word and help these people in desperate need.
xo,
Melissa
Our initial fundraiser was a complete success! We raised a combined total of $2,300 and helped over 50 families with supplies especially in the housing complex of Luquetti located in Yauco, PR.
Our new goal is to continue helping the families in Luquetti which was devastated by the massive flooding due to the River Yauco. Water rose upwards of 5 feet high leaving these families with nothing left.
Their current situation is dire. They have been told to relocate and their efforts have been useless. Apartments are either too expensive, for sale or abandoned leaving the families in their homes full of mud and no electricity. The floods continue since the rain has been pretty consistent.
The National Guard distributes snacks, not sustainable food, once a week. They are starving, living in very poor conditions and no real help has found its way over.
Around 25 families currently live there surrounded by mud and no electricity. I believe they do have potable water which still is questionable and should be boiled before consumption.
We invite you to view the documentary from our first trip back in which we helped those families in Luquetti here: https://youtu.be/N74i4XXrsrw
We appreciate all the help we can get. We have started our organization Stardust Foundation
Thank you!
xo,
Melissa
-----------------------------
Initial goal:
The objective is to aid up to 50 families in Yauco, Puerto Rico and surrounding municipalies – a rural area in southwest Puerto Rico especially hard hit by the Hurricane Maria. Due to its remote location, it is taking even longer than normal for basic services to be restored. Meanwhile, with limited resources; including now potable water and gasoline; the situation is actually becoming more dire as time goes on. People in these areas cannot get to the larger communities such as San Juan or even closer urban areas, such as the nearby city, Ponce, as the lines for gas and other supplies are often days long, and they need to conserve what little gas they have left in case of emergency. What relief has arrived, though well-intentioned, is often in the form of food which is ultimately unusable - because many natural water sources have tainted, so any food requiring water can’t be cooked (spaghetti or other wheat-based foods for example).
We aim to deliver roughly fifty boxes to families in these neighborhoods containing many supplies that are immediately usable and can help ease the burden for a week or two as more long-term relief efforts continue to take shape. Not only will this include food, but basic power sources (solar powered lanterns and phone charges) to allow for communication and other basic needs while power is being restored.
The supplies will be picked up in several points along the way as not everything will be available in the same location – some will be bought on amazon and shipped, a van will be rented in San Juan where some items will be picked up, others in Ponce, and some actually will be able to be delivered directly to Yauco where another member of the team will be able to receive them safely. We will assemble the boxes at a home in Yauco and distribute to families in these hard-hit communities in the following days.
The below list of intended items is based on first-hand experience of what is needed in this community. The items will be adjusted based on support, with at minimum the cases of bottled water and solar chargers being delivered. Several fundraisers are in progress to raise at least the minimum funds required.
Personal note from Melissa Lomax (Otero):
Growing up in Yauco, Puerto Rico, I have been blessed with the islands rich culture, love and beauty. Having experienced first hand the devastation from Hurricane Maria, I cannot sit back and wait for help to come. My parents, one sister, other family members, friends and more still live there and they are truly suffering. I have documented the preparations, the experience during and the aftermath of the hurricane and I ask you to please join me in help bring these families some much needed help in the south west of the island. The funds will go towards three things I believe are very useful right now: Solar lightbulbs, solar cell phone chargers, mosquito nets and water purification tablets.
Thank you for your love and compassion. We hope to continue spreading the word and help these people in desperate need.
xo,
Melissa
Organizer
Melissa Lomax
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
