Hurricane Maria hit the Carribean hard, especially Puerto Rico and it has been said that Maria set Puerto Rico back decades in development. Communication with people from the island is spotty and many are in desperate need or basic needs like food and water. If you’re like me with family or friends you want to connect with or you just want to help out, here are some things you can do to help those devastated by Hurricane Maria:
Donate money:
Sometimes a dollar or $5 can make a difference just by contributing to the pool of money being raised to obtain resources for those in Puerto Rico. For example, non profits like El Concilio in the Philadelphia area is raising money to donate to those who need it most. The first Lady of Puerto Rico has set up Unidos por Puerto Rico as a place to donate as well. Also there are multiple GoFundMe pages that are helping to raise money as well and you can donate to as many as you would like. The money will go far for those in Puerto Rico who need all they can get.
Links to donate money: http://www.elconcilio.net/blog/2017/09/13/donate-now/
http://unidosporpuertorico.com/en/
https://www.gofundme.com/raise-funds/hurricanemaria
These are just a few ways to donate money to Puerto Rico however there are always more charities to donate to, just do your research to make sure your money is going to the right places.
Donate supplies/clothes:
Currently the Salvation Army is collecting supplies for the island such as food, clothing and even a dollar donation. Americares is another organization that takes your donations and turns them into medical supplies and helps provide medical programs for those who desperately need it. Remember every little bit counts.
Links to donate supplies and more: https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app340a?idb=231468273&df_id=28057&mfc_pref=T&28057.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=9B17AD39D40D2924007D27C03E29E565&cm_mc_sid_51410000=1505957173
http://www.americares.org/en/take-action/ways-to-give/
Volunteer:
As of right now, flights to and from Puerto Rico are slightly impossible. However, this semester we have many breaks and whatever free time you can use to help volunteer either in your town or in Puerto Rico when it becomes accessible. Spending some time at your local Salvation Army picking up donations can help a great deal. Also, Red Cross is currently looking for volunteers to go and help out victims in Puerto Rico, so whatever time you have can be spent helping those who need supplies or a hand to hold.
Links to volunteer: http://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer
http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/volunteer/new/
Spread the word:
You may be that college student with only 63 cents to your name and some time before you can stop sleeping for dinner, however there is something you can do if you cannot donate: use social media. Spread the word about more organizations to donate or remind everyone that Puerto Rico needs help too. It may not seem like much, but instead of trying to get the most likes on your latest selfie, your social platform can be used for so much more than you know.
It may be stressful as you’re worrying about your exams and papers as the semester goes on, but even only 5 to 10 minutes of your day can be given to helping out those in Puerto Rico. Remember, every little bit brings Puerto Rico back stronger than ever.