Puerto Rico Earthquakes Assessment Update - February 2020

PUERTO RICO EARTHQUAKES ASSESSMENT FEBRUARY 2020

Context OUR MISSION AND VISION All Hands and Hearts effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, through response activities or helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

Since late December, Southern Puerto Rico has been trembling with earthquakes. There have been over 1,200, including a record-breaking 6.4 magnitude quake on January 7th - Puerto Rico’s strongest in over a century. This string of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks has forced thousands of families to sleep outside, as there is widespread fear of being indoors should another major earthquake happen. It has also frayed the nerves of residents across the island - many who are still recovering from Hurricane Maria.

State and Federal emergencies were declared and the Puerto Rico National Guard has built tent cities in the affected areas (Ponce, Peñuelas, Guayanilla, Yauco and Guánica). However the growing distrust of the government has complicated the sheltering situation, with many opting to stay in community camps rather than official shelters.

Assessment Update Throughout January 2020, whilst continuing our Hurricane Maria recovery efforts in Yabucoa, our Disaster Assessment Response Team (DART) conducted a thorough assessment of earthquake damage island-wide; to determine the greatest needs within each community, as well as connect with key organizations and individuals conducting relief efforts. Shelter, food and water, medical supplies and mental health support were found to be the primary needs.

Given the number of other NGOs currently meeting these needs, our DART team concluded that there is no need for a new All Hands and Hearts program to be established at this time. Instead, we have developed a satellite project, partnering with World Central Kitchen to provide food to affected communities.

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Satellite Project Operating in a small satellite capacity from the Yabucoa base, our team of volunteers are supporting World Central Kitchen, as they’re serving more than 9,000 meals a day to 90 locations in 11 municipalities. Volunteers are assisting in the preparation, cooking and serving of meals at Yauco Stadium and Ponce Kitchen locations. To date, All Hands and Hearts volunteers have provided 879 hours of service.

Additionally, All Hands and Hearts staff and volunteers supported a grassroots volunteer group, Brigada de Todxs, in constructing sleeping cots for those currently living in community camps.

Next Steps All Hands and Hearts will continue to engage volunteers on a daily basis with World Central Kitchen. The evolving situation with regards to the earthquakes will be monitored closely by staying in the PRVOAD and NGO cluster conversations, as well as by reaching out to community contacts and local officials.

Further developments regarding the need and relief efforts will be highly dependent on the severity of earthquakes over the next weeks.

Support Us All Hands and Hearts has been assisting communities affected by natural disasters in Puerto Rico since January 2018, and we rely on donations to do so.

If you are interested in supporting our ongoing efforts, please get in touch, or click here.

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator six years in a row and a Perfect 100.

Less than one percent of rated nonprofits have received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211