PUERTO RICO HURRICANE UPDATE - YABUCOA, BARRANQUITAS, & TOA BAJA DISASTER PROFILE
(JUNE 2018)
On September 20th, 2017 Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph winds plowed through the island of Puerto Rico. The eye of Hurricane Maria passed right over the municipality of Yabucoa, affecting the 37,000 residents who call it home. This area bore the strongest brunt of the storm. Homes are missing roofs and walls, and it is estimated two-thirds of the city is still without power. The mountain municipality of Barranquitas, in the center of the island, was nearly inaccessible due to landslides. The roughly 30,000 residents have seen a great need for roofing repair and mold sanitation in the area. Hurricane Maria was the worst natural disaster on record on the island.
OUR RESPONSE Thanks to critical support from partners like Medtronic and The Radcliffe Foundation, donors, local community, and volunteers from around the world, All Hands and Hearts - Smart Response has run an impactful program since January 13th, 2018. Our work in Yabucoa and neighboring Humacao includes mucking and gutting, debris removal, mold sanitation, tree removal, and minor home repairs. We are also focusing on community spaces in need of clean up/repair and will be alongside the community on the long road to recovery. AHAH has had a program in Barranquitas since January 24th, 2018. Our work in Barranquitas originally included mucking/gutting and debris removal, but has shifted focus to meet the overwhelming need for resilient roofing rebuilds and mold sanitation.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES (RESPONSE PHASE) As we continue our response work (mucking, gutting and sanitizing) in the neighboring town of Toa Baja, we have begun roofing repairs in Barranquitas, thanks to support from donors such as The Miami Foundation. We have also begun roof repairs, critical repairs and clean up on baseball fields and playgrounds in Yabucoa. Volunteers travel to job sites each morning and attend a nightly meeting recapping the day. With anywhere from 40-90 volunteers on base at one time, over 32 nationalities have been represented since January. We have made a long-term commitment to help Puerto Rico recover, and our work is just beginning.
Left to right: team leader Peter, Louis Alvarez from NY stands with Puerto Rico tactical team, homeowner Olga, and Project Coordinator Johnny. Peter shows the New York tactical team the roof his team of volunteers completed at Olga’s house before Olga shares her story. See a video highlighting our resilient roofing model here.
US recovery manager Rico visits sites in Barranquitas, and discusses concrete house challenges with team leader Pete to execute the best possible, and longest lasting seal against future rains.
OUR IMPACT
3309
PEOPLE ASSISTED
531
JOBS COMPLETED
1,021
VOLUNTEERS
10,290
VOLUNTEER DAYS
Volunteer Voices “This was a life changing experience and one I do not take lightly. The community, staff and volunteers all were beyond the expectations I had for each. What is being done here is something that needs to be heard, because it really does open one's eyes of what is happening in the world of those in need.” “This was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences of my life. I met so many wonderful, hardworking people, with a fascinating story to tell and incredible lives outside of All Hands. I also had an opportunity to get to know many local people in Puerto Rico, while also feeling like I was making a difference in their lives. This is what I came here to do, and I feel like you guys really facilitated this”
Homeowner Highlight
See here an article highlighting the work AHAH has been doing and our partnership with the state of New York.
Carmen Sanchez DeLeon is 67 years old, and has lived in Martorell, Puerto Rico for more than 50 years. “The whole world was surprised by the hurricane...there was a lot of mud in the house, coming through the doors. I felt very discouraged, because I went to FEMA and they turned down my application. So I went to Tu Hogar Renace and All Hand and Hearts. I feel so much better now that I know there are people willing to help. I’m content knowing that the volunteers are helping, and I dance when the music starts. I dance a lot. I love to dance, and I love music. I’ve been listening to music on the radio for the past seven months, and that’s what has given me hope.”
OUR MISSION To effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. By listening to local people, and deploying a unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, we rebuild safe, resilient schools, homes and other community infrastructure.
OUR PARTNERS
4 YEARS IN A ROW! Only 13% of charities have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star ratings. This means All Hands and Hearts outperforms most of the other 1.5 million charities in America in operational and financial efficiency.
@ALLHANDSANDHEARTS
@ALLHANDSANDHEARTS
@ALLHANDSHEARTS
For additional information: Ethan. C Yake, Chief Partnership Officer ethan@allhandsandhearts.org or (518) 669-7147 www.allhandsandhearts.org