Put Resilient Roofs on Damaged Puerto Rican Homes

Greetings from All Hands and Hearts!

This quarter, we have some news that we truly think is worthy of a celebration: our Puerto Rico teams have officially finished repairing and sealing their 300th concrete roof! In the grand scheme of things, this may seem like a small indication of progress; but, for 300 homeowners and their families, this means being in their homes without worrying about leaks and mold growth each time it rains.

Teams are working closely with the people of Yabucoa, always looking for ways to engage the larger community and identify locally-based projects that could use the support of All Hands and Hearts. We are currently in the process of identifying a community baseball field that our teams could revitalize! Projects like this have a tremendous spirit-lifting effect on the community, which is why we try to work on similar projects at each of our active programs around the world. I will continue to keep you updated as this project develops!

In addition to the 300 concrete roof repairs the team has completed, they have finished 586 other jobs! These jobs range from debris and tree removal, to mucking and gutting, to sanitization of mold - all of which are important steps for families working so hard to return to a sense of normalcy following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. We are so proud of the Yabucoa team and all the work they have accomplished so far. Thank you for helping make all of this possible.

We look forward to updating you again soon!

Hello Donors!

As you may know, All Hands and Hearts has been in Puerto Rico since Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit in the Fall of 2017. Officially starting the first week of January 2018, our teams worked incredibly hard to help those impacted by the storms move beyond the destruction they faced as a result of the heavy winds and rain. Originally working in three locations (Barranquitas, Yabucoa, and Toa Baja), our recovery phase of work is now operating solely out of Yabucoa.

The efforts of our field teams are focused on some mucking/gutting/mold sanitizing, and our primary work on roof and critical home repairs. For thousands of residents after the initial storm hit, roofs were severely damaged, or even removed altogether. Even now, at higher altitudes in the areas we work, you can see the blue tarps speckling the landscape as many are still depending on these tarps to keep water out of their homes. This is by no means a long-term solution to the problem, and simply acts as a bandaid leaving homeowners vulnerable to even a minor storm. Our goal is to repair as many of these roofs as possible, building them back stronger than ever. Until a roof is fully repaired, it’s very difficult for homeowners to address the damage to the inside of their homes as rain leakage has been a big issue.

Teams and volunteers worked straight through the holidays (notice the santa hats in one of the update photos!) in order to make sure that All Hands and Hearts can serve as many individuals as possible over the full timeline of recovery. 7,014 people have been impacted by the work of 2,392 volunteers. We are thrilled that our teams have been able to make this kind of impact so far, and thankful that we have been so strongly supported by the Globalgiving community from day one. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we work together to see these numbers grow!

As always, thank you from everyone at All Hands and Hearts!