FSU students create Hurricane Fiona donation project for Puerto Rico storm victims
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Florida State University senior Angilmarie Rivera Sanchez is just one of many students in Tallahassee with family on the island who are impacted by power outages, broken water systems and flooding due to damage recently caused by Hurricane Fiona.
But as president of FSU’s Puerto Rican Student Association on campus, Rivera Sanchez and other students in the organization have started a Hurricane Fiona donation project to help victims of the storm in their time of need.
"Like everyone else on the island, my family had power outages for a couple of days, and a lot of places still have outages since it was across the whole island,” 20-year-old Rivera Sanchez said. She moved to Florida from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, when she was around 11 years old, leaving behind her father, grandparents, siblings and cousins.
“Their water system broke down, so they've been using bottles of water to shower and cook, and a couple of my cousins’ places got flooded,” Rivera Sanchez added.
With the previous damage caused by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm, the student association knew even before Hurricane Fiona hit that they wanted to do something to help the island, which was damaged by the category 1 storm on Sept. 18.
“There's blockages in the streets, so people can’t get to certain parts of the island, and getting resources and mobility in general has been pretty hard," Rivera Sanchez said.
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The student association began the donation project Friday by posting information on social media platforms like Instagram about how to help Puerto Rico while partnering up with six non-profit organizations on the island – Taller Salud, Brigada Solidaria del Oeste, JPIP Mayaguez, Fundacion Sin Limites, Techos Pa' Mi Gente and Comedores Sociales.
Physical donations are currently being accepted in the student union buildingthrough the Hispanic/Latinx Student Union, with items including canned goods, toiletries, solar lamps, water filters and first aid kits. Monetary donations are also being collected and will be used toward rebuilding homes and distributing food to those in need on the island.
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Kana Lilly, a fourth-year student from Miami, Florida, says her loved ones are a part of the victims that continue to be impacted by Hurricane Fiona’s aftermath. With her family living in San Juan and on the west side of Puerto Rico, some of them were still without power as of Sunday.
“The last time I checked, a lot of my family on the west side of Puerto Rico have not been able to get their power back yet, so they’re dealing with that and hoping that everything works out for the best,” said Lilly, 21, who is also one of the Puerto Rican Student Association’s outreach coordinators. “They’re getting through the hurricane in the best way that they can."
The students are working with the Dominican Student Association on FSU’s campus as well since the Dominican Republican was also hit by Hurricane Fiona, and both associations are affiliated with the Hispanic/Latinx Student Union.
"Being able to see the members go out of their way to help Puerto Rico and our community overall is very, very impactful," Hispanic/Latinx Student Union Director Erick Jarquin said. "I love to see my community come together to help each other."
This wouldn’t be the first time that FSU has reached out a helping hand to Puerto Rico in a time of need. After Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, the university’s College of Law hosted upper-level students from the University of Puerto Rico, allowing them to continue their studies after the destruction that was caused by the storm.
More: FSU's law school prepares to accept students from Puerto Rico
That same spirit of giving is still alive through the student association’s current initiative, even though some of the students’ plans have been pushed back due to Hurricane Ian. Plans were made to collect donations at Market Wednesday, but the outside event was recently canceled as the storm is being monitored, according to updates from the university.
The association will still have a drop box in the union building in the weeks to come and hopes to have boxes at other locations on campus once Hurricane Ian passes.
“I’m really grateful that we’re taking initiative and really making sure that we can be a source of support for the Puerto Rican students on campus and for anyone who is affected by the hurricane,” Lilly said.
The donation project is expected to last over three to four weeks as the association works on gathering as many physical and monetary donations as possible, Rivera Sanchez said.
Here is a list of physical donations being collected at the Hispanic/Latinx Student Union's room in the student union building on FSU’s campus:
Canned goods
Babu food
Water
Water filters
Toiletries
Solar lamps
First aid kits
Hygiene products
Clothes
Batteries
Tarps
Candles
For information on how to give monetary donations, contact the Puerto Rican Student Association at prsa.floridastate@gmail.com or connect with them on Instagram using the handle prsafsu.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU students start donation project for Puerto Rico hurricane victims
