8 things I’ve learned after Hurricane María
September 2017 represented a trying time for Puerto Rico. After the passing of Hurricane María, the island has been struggling to recover. The reality is that as of today, 75 days since the passing of the storm, not much has changed. Although the metropolitan area has slowly returned to normal, people in adjacent towns are still suffering. Working with NeedsList, I’ve had the opportunity to have daily contact with local non-profits who have given me a picture of what really is going on– all are still allocating resources to buying food and water, and most are still without electric power– including my parents and most of my family.
At NeedsList, I’ve been focused on connecting with and on-boarding the lists of needs of organizations on the island. In the fives weeks since I’ve been on the team, I’ve gathered dozens of lists with hundreds of unmet needs. I’ve learned so much in this process. Here are my eight greatest learnings so far:
- Every part of thousands of communities has been affected, even things you wouldn’t think about. When disasters like this happen, people’s immediate reaction is to donate food and clothes– but there are so many organizations working on really diverse issues. For example, some groups are focused on helping displaced pets– over 200,000 Puerto Ricans have been displaced to Florida since the hurricane, and many abandoned their pets because of flight restrictions. Other groups are working to protect people from mosquitoes that have been breeding as a result of standing water, which carry things like dengue, a disease that has caused hundreds of deaths throughout the years.
- Many large corporations have supported large non-profits, but that impact isn’t being seen on the ground. As a part of my work at NeedsList, I have been doing outreach to companies that could sponsor list of needs to help us fulfill what groups need. The general response I’ve gotten is that many have donated millions to large non-profits– yet, that impact has not been felt on the island.
- In fact, it’s the small non-profits and grassroots groups that have been making an incredible impact from day one. I’ve been listening to stories for weeks in complete awe. From the group that has been cooking 15,000 hot meals each month for the poorest and most affected communities. To the group that has been fighting to get family members in their communities access to solar-powered fans and lights. To the group that has been preparing hygiene boxes for senior citizens, many of which are bedridden or don’t have family to take care of them. The stories are endless and are a testament to the true resilience among Puerto Ricans.
- Needs are changing as time goes by, although most groups are still providing food and water to communities. In the beginning, I would receive requests related to getting supplies to fulfill basic necessities. As time has gone by, attention shifted towards reconstruction. For example, Nuestra Escuela and Instituto Nueva Escuela both manage a network of schools that have either not opened or are operating under very poor conditions. This means that have hundreds of children have either not been able to go back to school, or are in classrooms with destroyed walls, no AC, and scarce school supplies. These groups and others are working to provide a sense of normalcy on the island, particularly to all of the children whose lives were affected by the storm.
- Puerto Ricans are dedicated to supporting local businesses and are starting initiatives to make sure small businesses stay afloat. In particular, Puerto Ricans in the diaspora have been trying to figure out ways to help their brothers and sisters on the island. Organizations like Colmena66 and Brands of Americas have started initiatives like Shop+Hire Puerto Rico to help local freelancers and business owners export their products and services. At NeedsList, our goal is to onboard local suppliers, such as local supermarkets and hardware stores to help non-profits get access to the supplies they need and create a positive impact on the local economy.
- And similarly, local businesses and entrepreneurs are more motivated than ever to succeed. There is a clear understanding that in order to avoid Puerto Rico’s economy from collapsing, there must be a collective effort to keep businesses afloat. Through this experience, I have developed a deep sense of awe and admiration for all of my friends and colleagues that are hustling on the island, and that are working to make sure their businesses not only stay afloat but thrive.
- People are starting to forget about Puerto Rico– you hear less and less about us on the news. As with every story of disaster, all eyes were on us during the first few weeks after the storm. Now, I’m always surprised to see anything related to Puerto Rico in the media. In addition, many companies that I’ve spoken to have specified that they are no longer donating to Puerto Rico because they’ve made their contributions for the year– leaving groups on the island left to figure out how to continue getting the resources they need to keep working.
- Because the reality is, all the help is still needed. Puerto Rico, my beautiful little hometown, is still in need of so much help. And the most important thing I’ve learned these past weeks is that in order to really help, you need to support the people that are directly in communities. The ones that are going out to supermarkets and spending what little they have left to make sure their neighbor has a hot meal. The ones making sure kids are back in school. They are the ones who are really moving the needle on the ground.
I will be going back home to Puerto Rico this coming Wednesday, December 6th, and will continue working on providing help to organizations on the ground. I will also be documenting the stories of those that have been working there, in order to show what is truly happening and to celebrate the inspirational work of people on the island.
Follow the NeedsList blog to in order to read these stories and don’t forget to continue supporting organizations via the NeedsList website!
