Working to serve those most vulnerable to the effects of Hurricane Fiona
In the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, we activated the La Cancha Sana Community Center, our resilience hub and community kitchen, to provide hot meals to the community and work crews to help the farmers of the area.
As part of the immediate response to protect the people and nearby communities, we have worked long hours to open roads, remove plant debris, and help 20 families with damaged homes.
The weekly program for the “Abus,” isolated seniors in our community, took the main role of providing hot meals and supplies in a consistent manner to over 50 older adults that depend on this help for daily survival, because the majority of them live alone and are without power or water.
Delivering a meal to a local “Abu”
“Hurricane Fiona left devastating effects on the community and farmers of Las Marías. Given this reality, we activated all the resources we have available to help those affected, especially our local population of “Abus,” or older adults. We find ourselves in the process of conducting a community needs assessment, mapping the community to identify the most urgent necessities. Also, we are raising funds to obtain and install rainwater collection cisterns for the most vulnerable community members who are lacking essential services, such as fresh water,” described Paula Paoli, co-director of Plenitud PR.
As soon as the hurricane winds ceased, our team and volunteers that could reach the area activated the services of La Cancha Sana. This community center, located in the Alto Sano neighborhood of Las Marías, is a secure space for resiliency resources in moments of emergency, partially because it has essential services such as rainwater cisterns and a solar energy system. It also has a community kitchen that, as of today, will distribute daily nutritious lunches for the community.
On the other hand, the farmers of Las Marías, whose support is crucial for the food security and sovereignty of the area, received a harsh economic blow through crop loss due to rain, strong winds and landslides. Our agriculture and bioconstruction specialists at Plenitud PR are actively joining those land stewards to recover useful crops, clean up farms, and raise funds to support in their recovery, as well as the distribution of vetiver grass, a plant whose deep root systems hold the soil together and help prevent landslides.
Update:
Hand in hand with our on-the-ground team, remote staff, dedicated volunteers, and generous donor community, here’s what we’ve been able to accomplish 3 weeks since Hurricane Fiona hit:
2,073 plates of hot food for Abus and community members
$2,088 invested in local agriculturists produce
15 rainwater cisterns installed in neighbors’ homes
68 bags of groceries for our Abus and other elders
47 bags of groceries for Crezco en Plenitud children and teachers
“We have our hands full. Our people need help. The volunteers are on the streets, but it’s not enough. We are calling on you to help us help others. We are actively seeking financial support for all the initiatives that we have activated for our most vulnerable populations.””
If you want to learn more about Plenitud PR’s programs and make a financial contribution, please visit our donation page here. We are so grateful for your support.
By the way—we were honored to be featured on Telemundo to talk about our work serving the Las Marías community, particularly our vulnerable senior population, in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. Check it out! Plenitud PR Telemundo Interview
Here are some other organizations that are helping us to share our message:
