Philly groups announce fundraising effort to quickly offer assistance to Puerto Rico

A coalition of over 40 community organizations that first came together in 2017 to help victims of Hurricane Maria is reactivating to serve the island’s Hurricane Fiona victims.

The organization, UNIDOS PA’ PR, will focus on raising funds to help stabilize life for people, especially those hard hit in rural communities.

Over 40 CEOs of the various local agencies will serve as the collaboration’s governance committee and will decide how donated funds will be allocated, said Nilda Ruiz, president and CEO of the Asociación Puertorriqueños En Marcha. Ruiz said that about $400,000 was raised for Maria victims.

Remembering Hurricane Maria, Ruiz said, “We were together almost two years. It will be a long process.” Fiona’s fatalities and damages are still being assessed, but Hurricane Maria left nearly 3,000 people dead and caused $90 billion in damages on the island. Puerto Rico Gov.Pedro Pierluisi has said that the island sustained “catastrophic” damage from Fiona.

» READ MORE: Local Puerto Rican and Dominican communities are readying humanitarian response to hurricane — again

Although President Joe Biden declared an emergency prior to the storm hitting, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts , Ruiz said that governmental channels are often too slow and bureaucratic to help in rural Puerto Rico. Unidos PA’ PR intends to work with organizations on the ground to get to the needy quicker.

Luz Colón, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission on Latino Affairs, noted that Gov. Tom Wolf announced two members of Pennsylvania Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team, were deployed to Puerto Rico to support response operations. The force, which is sponsored by the Philadelphia Fire Department, is one of 28 teams that are part of a national response system, and is a federal resource that can be mobilized to respond to incidents anywhere in the country.

» READ MORE: 5 years after Maria, reconstruction drags on in Puerto Rico

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is also monitoring requests for assistance. Puerto Rico will have to pay the costs association with any deployment.

Concilio will serve as the fiscal agent for UNIDOS PA’ PR and all monies collected will be used to help Fiona’s victims. Unidos PA‘ PR is discouraging the donation of items because of the logistical bottlenecks of transporting them and ensuring they get to the smaller communities.

Concilio’s executive director Adonis Banegas said the Puerto Rican parade on Sunday will do double duty — both fun and an opportunity to solicit donations.

Those interested in donating can text PRFiona2022 to 44321.