It feels as if just yesterday Texas, Florida and the Caribbean were all being pelted by disastrous hurricanes. These places have not yet recovered (and will likely not fully recover for several years) and Mother Nature has already shown her fury yet again in the form of Hurricane Maria and a massive earthquake. The Caribbean islands, mainly Puerto Rico, and Mexico have taken the brunt of these two natural disasters, and it’s time that we come together again to help our fellow man.
Puerto Rico
As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is full of U.S. citizens who need our help. The island’s already weak power grid was demolished by the hurricane and millions have been left without power, and it may stay that way for months. Supplies, such as gas, clean drinking water and food are hard to come by and the island is in dire straits, with many citizens displaced from their homes.
One of the easiest ways to donate is through monetary means. Some of the best organizations to donate to areUNICEF, who is focusing solely on assisting children on the island; the Red Cross, who is providing thousands of supply kits; or through the local organization United for Puerto Rico, which allows payments directly through PayPal.
Our fellow U.S. citizens are hurting. Hurricane Maria has set Puerto Rico back a few decades in terms of technology. Communication is tough and humans are suffering; please do whatever you can to assist.
Mexico
Although Mexico is not a U.S. territory, it is still our neighbor and full of kind and good people. And these people are suffering as well. After being hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, Mexico has been in disrepair. You can help out with the dispersal of medical supplies by donating to Direct Relief or Operation USA. You can also supportTopos, which is an organization dedicated to the search and rescue of missing victims.
These are certainly trying times. One would look at the current state of the world and think that Mother Nature is very upset with us. It is in these dark hours that we stand together and pick each other up. Help your fellow man and donate today.
