Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund
Summary
In 2017, Hurricane Maria’s powerful winds and torrential rains caused massive damage across the Caribbean, destroying homes in Puerto Rico, Dominica, and the Virgin Islands just two weeks after Hurricane Irma passed through the region. Initially, this fund provided relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine, and is now supporting longer-term assistance to help residents recover and rebuild.
Challenge
With strong, damaging winds, Hurricane Maria destroyed homes and critical infrastructure just two weeks after Hurricane Irma cut through the Caribbean. SARF’s local nonprofit partners responded to survivors’ immediate needs, however, the extent of the damage in Puerto Rico and on other islands means that it will be a long road to a full recovery.
Solution
All donations to this fund will support hurricane recovery and relief efforts in the Caribbean. After initially helping first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter, this fund is now dedicated to supporting longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted organizations. All donations to this fund will exclusively support ongoing hurricane relief and recovery efforts in the Caribbean.
Long-Term Impact
We believe that organizations that are deeply rooted in local communities are best positioned to provide long-term support for survivors of natural disasters like hurricanes. By funding the relief efforts of organizations in the Caribbean, there’s potential to build stronger response capacity so that these organizations are better equipped to face future challenges. SARF will post reports about how funds have been used and will email these reports to donors.