It’s been 5 months since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico but the island still needs help. If you are interested in helping, here are some resources. Park City Community Foundation staff have been asked how Parkites can help and where to donate. A main concern for donors in the aftermath of a major disaster is, “Where will my donation do the most good?”
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF PUERTO RICO
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico (BGC) is an independent and locally-operated organization affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Post-Maria, the organization’s primary concern is the safety and well-being of the 15,000 young people it serves at its 13 Clubs around the island as well as the welfare of their families. As part of community outreach work, BGC has channeled food, water and primary care supplies to its Club and distributed them to different communities. Additionally, they continue to provide services to kids and youth in order to provide a safe place for them as their families rebuild their homes and their lives.
CASA PUEBLO
Casa Pueblo is an environmental watchdog community-based organization serving more than ten municipalities in Puerto Rico. Casa Pueblo is at the forefront of post-Maria rural community electrification primarily through the establishment of self-sufficient solar communities (SEE: http://bit.ly/2spww6d)
FOUNDATION FOR PUERTO RICO
Foundation for Puerto mostly focuses on promoting the visitor economy and transforming Puerto Rico as a destination for the world. Post-Maria the organization has shifted its resources to facilitate and coordinate response and recovery initiatives via the Hurricane Maria Relief Fund. The initiatives include capacity building, basic needs, community based recovery projects, economic development, and infrastructure.
PARA LA NATURALEZA
Para la Naturaleza is Puerto Rico’s most prominent conservation group. The group acquires land for conservation, manages nature preserves, and offers citizen science workshops. After Hurricane Maria, Para la Naturaleza set up a Community Fund to support the relief and rebuilding efforts in the communities near the organization’s nature reserves.
THE PUERTO RICAN RECOVERY FUND
This fund was organized by the Center for the New Economy: an independent non-partisan think tank devoted to finding solutions for the island’s economic crisis. The group pledges to spend the money first on immediate humanitarian concerns, but will use the rest to help rebuild the Puerto Rican economy. That means it will fund advocacy efforts in D.C. as well as local economic initiatives.
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