How You Can Help Hurricane Victims in Puerto Rico

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https://www.consumerreports.org/charitable-donations/how-you-can-help-hurricane-victims-in-puerto-rico/

There are several charities you can donate to that are working directly on relief efforts there

Since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda have been encouraging people to make donations to help with relief efforts.

If you want to make a contribution, there are a number of charities that are working directly in Puerto Rico.

Save the Children, based in Fairfield, Conn., currently has about six people in Puerto Rico and it is trying to get more there. The organization is working with partners such as American Red Cross and FEMA in evacuation centers to make sure there are supplies needed by children, such as wipes, diapers, cribs, and playpens, as well as bassinets for bathing.

This weekend, as more workers arrive in Puerto Rico, Save the Children plans to also set up child-friendly spaces within the shelters. "Children are always the most vulnerable in disasters, so we provide them with areas where they can be safe," says Wendy Christian, who heads the organization's communications department.

The Consumer Reports link has links to several organizations who could use some help. Also check Charity Navigator if you're wanting to know more about any organization. https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=5356

Another article from PBS

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/can-help-hurricane-victims-puerto-rico/



Islands throughout the Caribbean communities are beginning a long road to recovery from several major hurricanes that have ravaged the Atlantic. But Puerto Rico in particular is facing what local officials have described as a full-blown humanitarian crisis, with devastation they call “apocalyptic.”

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Irma made landfall on the island, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, the worst natural disaster the island has seen in nearly a century. Sixteen people have died as a result of the storm, according to the Associated Press, a number local officials expect to rise. The island has virtually no running water or electricity; around 80 percent of the island’s crops have been destroyed. Scores of Puerto Ricans are gathering around what’s left of the island’s cell towers, desperate for contact with loved ones.

Nearly all of the U.S. territory’s 3.4 million residents need assistance recovering from the storm. Here’s how you can help.

Cash. Most organizations are asking for cash, rather than supplies, so they can route help to where it’s needed most more quickly. Here are some of the largest groups with campaigns underway:

United for Puerto Rico (spearheaded by the First Lady of Puerto Rico)
UNICEF
Center for Popular Democracy
Hispanic Federation’s “Unidos” page
International Medical Corps
Former U.S. presidents have expanded their One America Appeal to include recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Catholic Relief Services
Americares
Direct Relief
Save the Children, which focuses specifically on the needs of families and their children.
Global Giving has a $2 million goal for victims of Hurricane Maria
GoFundMe has also created a hub that includes all campaigns for Hurricane Maria. You can also find campaigns for individual families seeking help for loved ones.

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1. I donated to the Carmelo Anthony Foundation

https://www.youcaring.com/puertorico-956698

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2. Many groups also need volunteer workers to head down there and help

for those who are able and willing. Rebuilding is going to be a very long term effort.