Water, Light and Shelter for Puerto Ricans in Need

     CDRS is making one last request for support of our Hurricane Maria relief and reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico as we enter the height of hurricane season in the Caribbean.  CDRS has been working closely with the Rotary Clubs of Puerto Rico, Ayuda Pa’la Montana and many other wonderful relief workers and organizations to provide needy citizens with food, water filters, solar lighting, medicines, construction materials and more since Maria struck the island in late September of last year.  Now, almost a year later, we ask you to help us continue providing shelter to as many American citizens living in Puerto Rico as we can so that they will be as prepared as possible in the unfortunate event of another overwhelming natural disaster.

     We would like to introduce you to just a few of the very deserving citizens we have been assisting with repairs to their homes that were heavily damaged by the hurricanes.  The first gentlemen (seen in the shorter linked video) wished to tell the stories of himself and his neighbors, but requested that we leave out any names.  In the attached pictures, we are standing outside of one of his neighbor’s homes. We talked with her at length about her experience during and after Maria, but she did not wish to appear on camera.  She had received a few hundred dollars from FEMA to assist with the many unforeseen expenses brought on by the hurricanes and a water filter from another charity, but said that is all the help she has gotten and does not know how she will be able to repair her home or afford other necessities.  Another neighbor had to leave her relatively undamaged home due to a fire hazard caused by all the destroyed electrical cables and equipment.

     Illario has also been helping his neighbors and friends in the aftermath of Irma and Maria.  His house was so damaged that it was made unlivable, so he has been living and sleeping in his car (his carbedroom can be seen in attached photo) for almost a year.  FEMA provided him with some cinderblocks for his roof, but as you can see from the video the house is still in very bad shape and remains unlivable.  He has even been using pieces of wood as a makeshift front door.  Once Illario has completed enough of the repairs to move back in he plans on making the upper floor his primary living area in case of future flooding.  (See more of his story in the longer linked video)

     There are so many more individuals and families each with their own story of how last year’s hurricanes impacted their lives.  We ask that you consider supporting them in any way you can.  They need and more than deserve our help.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Links:

• Puerto Rican man shows CDRS an electrical fire hazard...
• Illario, an American citizen living in Puerto Rico, tells us...