HF Sends Largest Aid Package Received by the Municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Hispanic Federation delivers the largest donation given to the Mayor and the Coliseum since Hurricane Maria. Hispanic Federation’s President José Calderón and Senior Vice President Frankie Miranda delivered 220,000 pounds of essential goods including water, canned goods, baby food and other essential supplies to Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
October 27, 2017 (New York, NY) – Hispanic Federation sent two cargo planes – one on October 24 and one on October 25 – that brought 220,000 pounds of essential goods including water, canned goods, baby food and other essential supplies to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico’s capital after receiving a direct request from the Mayor of San Juan Carmen Yulín Cruz last week. This is the largest donation given to the Mayor and the Coliseum since Hurricane Maria struck. Hispanic Federation’s President José Calderón and Senior Vice President Frankie Miranda traveled to San Juan to personally deliver the aid and discuss additional needs with the mayor.
“The situation is still dire in Puerto Rico, nearly five weeks after Hurricane Maria, most of the island still does not have power, and an unbearable number of our people are still grasping for the most basic needs, including food, water and medicine.” said José Calderón, president of the Hispanic Federation. “This is a humanitarian crisis unlike any we've seen on the island, and we will continue to do everything we can to help families and communities throughout Puerto Rico recover and heal.”
“While Hispanic Federation chartered the planes traveling to San Juan this week, this would not have been possible on such short notice without the help of many different partners,” said Calderón. “We are grateful to the New York Governor’s Office, the New York City’s Mayor’s Office, Urban Health Plan and Albertson’s for their donations. It takes a village and it is because of these collective efforts that we were able to purchase and package the goods requested by Mayor Yulín Cruz.”
The 220,000 pound aid delivery will be stored in the Coliseum and packaged in home-ready made boxes to feed a family for a week. The food in the aid package is also culturally sensitive given complaints over dietary and digestive issues that have been raised regarding FEMA’s efforts. Staffers from the San Juan Mayor’s office are handling the distribution to communities in the municipality of San Juan.
To date, Hispanic Federation has raised more than $15 million for Puerto Rico through its Unidos Disaster Relief & Recovery Program. Through this fund, they have delivered more than 1.5 million pounds of emergency provisions; sent 13 relief aid flights to Puerto Rico transporting first responders and an additional one million plus pounds of essentials, including food, water and medication; reestablished communications with municipal mayors and suppliers; and established distribution routes to some of the hardest hits areas of the island, particularly the south and west.
Beyond extensive, ongoing relief, Hispanic Federation has also seeded an initial $2.5 million fund to support grassroots nonprofits on the island with the goal of strengthening the support and social services infrastructure available to families and communities in Puerto Rico.
The cargo planes arrived in San Juan at 3:50 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Calderón, Miranda, and Mayor Cruz met the planes and ensured the goods were delivered quickly and efficiently to the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. Calderón and Mayor Cruz also personally delivered aid to Santurce – a district of San Juan – that is completely without electricity.
Click here for a video of the delivery
The shipment - 220,000 pounds of essential goods including water, canned goods, baby food and other essential supplies sent to Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan
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About Hispanic Federation
The mission of the Hispanic Federation is to empower and advance the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Federation provides grants and services to a broad network of Latino non-profit agencies serving the most vulnerable members of the Hispanic community and advocates nationally with respect to the vital issues of education, health, immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement and the environment. For more information, please visit www.hispanicfederation.org.
