Monthly Program Update - Puerto Rico (October 2019)

PUERTO RICO HURRICANE RECOVERY UPDATE OCTOBER 2019

7,719 2,993

LIVES IMPACTED VOLUNTEERS

33,661

VOLUNTEER DAYS

1,509

JOBS COMPLETED

Current Activities The story of Hurricane Maria is about so much more than the storm’s destruction; it is one of resilience and community. On the island of Puerto Rico, September 20th marked two years of recovery from this devastating storm. In Yabucoa, we joined our community and the local schools in a walk of remembrance, honoring the lives lost after the Hurricane. Winding through the neighborhood streets, we sang songs about resilience and proudly chanted “Puerto Rico se levanta”.

Two years after this storm we are still here, on island, helping the people of Puerto Rico. We are continuing to re-seal roofs, install hurricane-resistant external doors and windows, and sanitize homes from mold. We have restored a half-dozen community centers, parks, and baseball fields to bring back a sense of normalcy to the community. It is two years later, but All Hands and Hearts remains committed to the resilient community of Yabucoa and its ongoing recovery.

Beneficiaries Stories Gregorio and Mrs. Moctezuma built their home in Yabucoa together over 40 years ago. Hurricane Maria severely damaged their home and, due to roof damage, their living room and kitchen were affected. Unfortunately, due to health conditions, they had to leave for a few months after Maria.

Despite their hardships, they say they are blessed for their children and neighbors that care for them. Their resilience inspired our entire team. We cleaned, prepared, and sealed their roof to help protect them against existing and future leaks. We replaced broken windows with ones made from a more resilient material and, when their home was finally sealed, we sanitized it against mold.

Many volunteers, with compassion and dedication, came together and worked to help rebuild Moctezuma family’s home. From the roof to the windows our work with, and for, the Moctezuma family is now complete.

Learn about our programs at

allhandsandhearts.org

Disaster Profile On September 20th, 2017 Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph winds plowed through the island of Puerto Rico, resulting in one of the worst natural disasters in the island’s history. Hurricane Maria first made landfall over the municipality of Yabucoa, affecting the 37,000 residents who call it home. This area bore the strongest brunt of the storm, where hundreds of homes are still today in need of basic roof repairs and where we continue to focus our efforts.

Our Work Thanks to critical support from partners, like Medtronic and The Giustra Foundation, donors, local community and volunteers from around the world, we have run an impactful program since January 2018. Our work in Yabucoa includes mucking and gutting, mold sanitation, roof repair and critical 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.

About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address 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, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

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 non-profits have received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

Pictured at right: (Top) Volunteers pressure wash a roof to prepare for re-sealing (Middle) Mendez field bleachers after being repaired and painted.(Bottom Left) Celebrating world Humanitarian Day on site,

Our Partners in Puerto Rico

info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211