PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A contingency of Philadelphia nonprofits are coming together to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona ravaged the island.
Unidos PA Puerto Rico began five years ago after Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory. Their coordinated effort will raise money, and the organizations say they will make sure it gets to people on the island who need it the most.
“We find that it’s better to send money than diapers or clothes, so we’re trying to come together again as a collective group to really help and be one step ahead of the game,” said Emily Cordero with Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha in Philadelphia.
The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Maria, which destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island are still covered by blue tarps.
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By Tuesday morning, authorities said they had restored power to more than 300,000 of the island's 1.47 million customers. Puerto Rico's governor warned it could take days before everyone has electricity.
"It's very hard when you have family there that's suffering from simple things such as clean water, or can't take a nice shower or anything like that because they're unable to do so and are waiting in a long line to get some gas for their generators, it's very difficult,” Wanda Amaro with Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha said.
Vanessa Maria Graber with Philly Boricua, also part of Unidos Pa Puerto Rico, said they will be collecting much-needed items and will organize with small towns on the island to disperse those supplies.
"Water filters, batteries, flashlights, rope, hygiene products, solar charges, satellite radios, first aid kits, backpacks, wipes, dry can baby formula,” Graber listed. She said they want to make sure people actually receive the donated goods, and that items are not lost, stolen or left in warehouses
When the groups came together after Hurricane Maria, they raised over $400,000.
To make donations:
- Email Phillyboricuas@gmail.com to set up donations of specifically-requested items above.
- Click here to make monetary donations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.