More than two months have passed since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, and life on the island remains a struggle. While the story has largely faded from the public consciousness, a group at Rockland Community College is doggedly working to help bring relief to some of those impacted by the devastating storm.
“Many people are not all that aware of the situation in Puerto Rico today,” said Inez Rivera, RCC faculty counselor. “There are still parts of the island that have received very little aid. Some haven’t received anything.”
“I feel like Puerto Rico’s been taken back to the Dark Ages,” said Ronnie Rolls, an RCC Nursing student who has aunts, an uncle and many cousins who live on the island. “It’s terrible what they’re enduring.”
The RCC Puerto Rico Task Force, led by Rivera, is preparing to send a shipment of supplies to the island in mid-December to help those still in need. The group has been collecting non-perishable food and other supplies at drop-off points around the College campus. The plan is to send this shipment to people in the southern and western portions of Puerto Rico, far from the San Juan area where much of the aid effort has been centered.
Rolls, who speaks regularly with her relatives, says Puerto Ricans are grateful to know that grassroots aid efforts are continuing on the mainland. “They’re glad for anything they can get,” she said.
Beyond food, Rivera said current needs also include over-the-counter medications, flashlights, diapers and baby formula. The group is also collecting lightly worn children’s summer clothing, and with the holidays fast approaching, would welcome donations of gifts for children affected by the hurricane.
The task force has focused its efforts on campus, but some in the greater Rockland County community have also offered to help. A teacher at Pomona Middle School enlisted fourth graders to fill shoeboxes with needed supplies, resulting in some 50 boxes worth of donations. A rabbi in Nyack also arranged a collection of items for the RCC shipment.
30 Days of Giving 2017:
- Day 1: Shopping with a Smile
- Day 2: Erie Community College Cook-Off for Kidneys
- Day 3: Stony Brook Medicine Helps in Puerto Rico
- Day 4: A Day of Service at Onondaga CC
- Day 5: New Paltz Students Make a Difference
- Day 6: Buffalo State College Dares to Care
- Day 7: Niagara County CC Students Lend A Hand for Thanksgiving
- Day 8: Old Westbury Helps Haiti
- Day 9: A Day of Service at SUNY Potsdam
- Day 10: Helping Animals at Hudson Valley Community College
- Day 11: FIT Students Help the Homeless
- Day 12: Morrisville Athletes Go Local For Service
- Day 13: SUNY Poly Gives Back Throughout the Region
- Day 14: SUNY Oswego Honors Those Battling Ovarian Cancer
- Day 15: Brockport Students Volunteer at Thanksgiving
- Day 16: SUNY ESF Sends Acorns to Action
- Day 17: Doors Open at the Columbia-Greene Community College Giving Closet
- Day 18: Monroe Community College Helps Walk for Water
- Day 19: SUNY Cortland Supports Crop Hunger Walk
- Day 20: Making Music at Farmingdale State to Help the Hungry
- Day 21: Increasing Food Security at Dutchess Community College
- Day 22: Addressing Food Insecurity On and Around SUNY Geneseo
- Day 23: Westchester Community College Plays the UnHunger Games
- Day 24: Binghamton University Builds University Assisted Community Schools
- Day 25: Mohawk Valley Community College Gives Back To Their Community
- Day 26: SUNY Oneonta Students Help Area Children Learn
- Day 27: Rockland Community College Comes Together to Aid Puerto Rico
- Day 28: Empire State College Donates to Caribbean Relief
- Day 29: Schenectady County Community College Students Provide Support to Foster Families
- Day 30: Raising Guiding Eyes at SUNY Delhi
People are really doing amazing work for the welfare of society and situation. Hats off to the all volunteers who are part of this amazing welfare drive.