Disaster Response Puerto Rico Project #39638

Relief & Resilience for Artists in Puerto Rico

by Craft Emergency Relief Fund, Inc

Relief & Resilience for Artists in Puerto Rico

Project Report | Sep 13, 2023
Hurricane Fiona Relief

By Nichole Potzauf | Director of Development and Outreach

Norma Gomez- artist

CERF+ used the generous grant from GlobalGiving to support our ongoing efforts to provide emergency financial assistance to craft artists and artisans in Puerto Rico. These artists suffered losses from Hurricane Fiona and have yet to recover fully. CERF+ utilized the generous donation made by GlobalGiving to provide Emergency Relief Grants of up to $3,000 for nine (9) Puerto Rican-based artists and artists that focused on immediate aid to those artists who faced profound losses, including homes, materials, and artworks in the aftermath of this climate-related disaster.

On behalf of CERF+'s Board of Directors, our staff, and the artists we serve, thank you again for the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Grant we received from GlobalGiving in October 2022.

For over a decade, CERF+ has been actively building relationships with artists, artisans, and the individuals and institutions that support them in Puerto Rico. The island’s artisans and artists have faced numerous obstacles in recent years, including Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Maria, the earthquakes in 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

CERF+’s dedicated initiatives led to the disbursement of $123,000 in emergency financial assistance dedicated to Hurricane Fiona's efforts in Puerto Rico alone. This support reached a total of 41 craft artists in Puerto Rico who bore the direct brunt of Hurricane Fiona's impact. Notably, this commitment to aiding artists in Puerto Rico isn't an isolated instance. Since 2018, CERF+ has awarded a total of over $578,000 in emergency relief grants for artists in Puerto Rico alone. This accounts for more than a quarter of the grants that have been awarded by CERF+.

GlobalGiving has been a critical partner to our work in Puerto Rico, providing more than $170,000 in grant funding over the last five years. Here are the types of emergencies we responded to with GlobalGiving Emergency Relief Grants:

A fiber artist from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, who spent several years caring for her terminally ill husband, used the funds to cover lost income and make repairs on their home, which was damaged in Hurricane Maria.
A ceramic artist from Gurabo, Puerto Rico, whose home was badly damaged by Hurricane Maria and the 2020 earthquakes used the funds to make repairs.
A glass artist from Cataño, Puerto Rico, who was caring for her husband with Multiple Sclerosis, used the funds to replace income lost while not being able to attend craft fairs and shows.

Although many organizations show up with aid in the immediate aftermath of an emergency, few of them persevere to support the long-term recovery of a community. Our job on the island has been first to listen and to learn about what is needed and, second, to address those needs. From economic instability to climate change and infrastructure rebuilds, the challenges are many, but CERF+ is dedicated to being part of the recovery process, paving the way for artists to thrive.

Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to our work and the artists we serve. We are honored to partner with you and your support of the ongoing recovery of the artists and artisans in Puerto Rico.

Following are some examples of Emergency Relief grant recipients funded with the Hurricane Fiona GlobalGiving grant:

Ricardo Nunez of Comerio, PR has been a wood artisan for over 15 years and was certified 12 years ago as an artisan by Fomento Industrial y el Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueño. Ricardo creates art in wood, painted, with relief and carving.

Ricardo’s studio was destroyed by flooding during Hurricane Fiona and has used the Emergency Relief funding to replace lost/damaged equipment, pay related bills, and replace lost income.

Norma Gomez is an award-winning fiber artist from Sabana Grande. Her work focuses on interweaving the fiber from the core of the palm tree to create various patterns on the "petate”. She is the creator of the first masks in Puerto Rico made with natural fibers known as "Vejigante" masks designed to be worn with traditional attire.

Norma’s home was flooded after roof damage from Hurricane Fiona and will use the funds to replace lost and damaged equipment and materials.

“Thank you Cerf for this present and for helping me in such a painful and difficult moment in my life when I lost a roof in my home after Hurricane Fiona. Eternally grateful.” - Norma Gomez

Original Spanish

“Gracias Cerf por decir presente y ayudarme en tan doloroso y difícil momento en mi vida al perder un techo de mi hogar tras el paso del huracán Fiona. Eternamente agradecida.” -Norma Gomez

***Ricardo and Norma have consented to name use in this report.

Norma Gomez - artwork1

Ricardo Nunez- artist

Ricardo Nunez - artwork1

Norma Gomez - artwork2

Ricardo Nunez - artwork2

Links:

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Sep 8, 2020
CERF+ Report on Ongoing Work in Puerto Rico

By Dustin Byerly | Director of Development & Communications

COVID-19 Relief Grant Program

Along with our response to COVID-19, Puerto Rico continues to be a significant focus of our emergency response work. Since Hurricane Maria made landfall late in 2017, CERF+ has awarded $454,200 in emergency assistance to 157 artists in Puerto Rico.

Our experience in Puerto Rico has been greatly instructive in developing and refining a model of engagement that relies heavily on local partnerships. This approach has been critical to our success in Puerto Rico and allowed us to build a solid foundation for our future efforts.

Our work with the Puerto Rican arts community presents a number of challenges and opportunities. In order to establish relationships and build trust, we conducted a focused and concerted outreach campaign directed at artists and artisans in Puerto Rico. With the help of a local consultant, volunteers, and cultural organizations, we have:

Translated our guidelines, application, and educational materials into Spanish;
Used translators for all of our live presentations;
Hosted in-person technical assistance gatherings to help artists write and submit grant applications in real-time;
Provided 24/7 phone support to applicants.

These efforts have made a significant difference in our ability to reach the artist and artisan community on the island. Out of the 327 emergency grants we've awarded in FY20 (Oct. 1, 2019 – Sept. 30, 2020), 89 (or 27%) have gone to Puerto Rican artists for a total of $173,000. The number of artists we’re serving in Puerto Rico continues to grow as already 111 of 965 applicants to the second cycle of our recently launched COVID-19 Relief Grant are from the island. None of this would be possible without the support we receive from our partners who, like GlobalGiving, understand the important role the arts play in the recovery of a community following a disaster.

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May 8, 2020
Annual Report on CERF+'s Work in Puerto Rico

By Dustin Byerly | Director of Development & Communications

Since Hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico, CERF+ has helped 123 artists and artisans and provided more than $405,000 in emergency financial relief assistance and donated equipment and materials, making this the largest response effort in our 35-year history. In fact, the significant demand from artists nearly outpaced our abilities to raise funds and, therefore, we are particularly grateful to GlobalGiving, for your fast and generous support.

With the help of a local consultant, on-the-ground volunteers, and cultural organizations in Puerto Rico, the GlobalGiving Foundation grant supported seven $3,000 emergency financial assistance grants to Puerto Rican artists. We are in the process of finalizing the last $3,000 emergency grant right now. CERF+ also provided two $500 GlobalGiving "Get Ready" grants to Puerto Rican artists, which they used to take proactive measures to protect their studios and safeguard their careers from future crises. The majority of our Puerto Rican beneficiaries have reported that our assistance was the only financial relief they received.

While we need to keep the identities of our beneficiaries confidential, here are a few stories from the artists who received assistance through the GlobalGiving Caribbean Grant:

A wood artist from Orocovis, Puerto Rico, whose workshop was badly damaged during Hurricane Maria, used the funds to purchase new tools and replace lost work income.
Another Orocovis artist, who had previously received assistance from CERF+ to rebuild their workshop after Maria destroyed it, used their GlobalGiving "Get Ready" grant to finish the job, purchasing a door and a window to secure their workshop.
A ceramic artist from Carolina, Puerto Rico, used the funds to repair their roof, which was damaged during Maria and leaking onto their kiln.
A leatherworker from Guanyabo, Puerto Rico, was unable to sell their art as a result of Hurricane Maria and used the GlobalGiving grant to get back on their feet.
A sculptor and teacher from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was unable to work following Hurricane Maria and used the funds to keep their business going.

Puerto Rico presents a number of challenges, which we worked hard to overcome. To ensure access to our programs and services, we developed infographics, recorded instructional Get Ready and Emergency Relief PowerPoints, hosted four in-person technical assistance gatherings to help artists submit grant applications, translated our applications online and in print, and provided 24/7 phone support to Spanish speaking applicants.

We realize the importance of working with local organizations, and as such we have partnered with a number of Puerto Rican businesses, cultural institutions, and organizations, including the Flamboyan Foundation, the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (MACPR), Museo de Arte y Diseño de Miramar (MADMi), Empresas Fonalledas Inc., Liga Estudiantes de Arte de San Juan (Art League), the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP), Museo de las Américas, Beta-Local, to name just a few. We also made several trips to Puerto Rico over the course of the last year to build on and nurture these relationships. These partnerships will be critical to our ongoing efforts to support the artists and artisans on the island and will allow us to reach previously underserved communities.

Puerto Rico continues to be a significant focus of our emergency response work. Although it’s no longer front-page news, the Puerto Rican people are still struggling to respond to and recover from Maria. The recent earthquakes only added to the challenges facing the island. Although we have yet to see how COVID-19 will affect the people of Puerto Rico, we can be sure that it will further complicate an already difficult situation. Understanding that recovery for many artists is “not a sprint, but a marathon,” CERF+ is dedicated to supporting artists’ recoveries in Puerto Rico for years to come.

GlobalGiving's support made an important difference in our work and in the lives of the artists we serve. As you know all too well, there is a growing need for a safety net everywhere, but especially in the Caribbean. From economic instability to climate change and infrastructure rebuilds, the challenges are many, but CERF+ is committed to being part of the recovery.

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