Near Perth Amboy? How to help Hurricane Fiona victims in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
PERTH AMBOY – Donations will be collected in the city Saturday to help the people of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic who are dealing with widespread power outages and massive flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.
The city, which has a large Hispanic population, is partnering with Agencia de Servicios Sociales Pentecostales (ASSPEN) and Troopers United Foundation, to host the Hurricane Fiona relief drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Alexander Jankowski Community Center, 1 Olive St., off Market Street in Perth Amboy, Mayor Helmin Caba announced.
Acceptable donations include water, canned goods, toiletries, batteries, cleaning supplies and first aid supplies.
"Our hearts and prayers are with the families in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic," Caba said in a Facebook post. "My office is actively working to identify partners, including our state officials, to mobilize additional aid to help meet the urgent needs of the residents on the island."
Caba said the need ranges from volunteers, emergency essentials, food and drinkable water to tarps for covering collapsed roofs.
"We ask you to be vigilant in prayer and to be mindful of any scams requesting donations," Caba added. "Let's unite our thoughts and lift our voices in prayer for our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean."
Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico last weekend as a Category 1 storm dumping up to 20 inches of rain on parts of the island which was still recovering from the devastation caused five years ago from Hurricane Maria.
For subscribers:5 years later, Puerto Ricans are still struggling with Hurricane Maria's devastation. Then came Hurricane Fiona.
"Puerto Rico has suffered yet another tragic natural disaster with Hurricane Fiona,” said Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex, in a statement. "In a matter of hours, Hurricane Fiona wiped out much of the resiliency and rebuilding efforts undertaken by the island leaving mass power outages, severe flooding, and substantial damage in its wake.
“New Jersey’s relationship with Puerto Rico has always been strong and we stand ready to offer whatever may be needed in this time of crisis. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those impacted and I know the island will recover from this too and rebuild. I encourage anyone who would like to help Puerto Rico to visit www.redcross.org to support their efforts,” Lopez said.
“Seeing the destruction levied on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic by Hurricane Fiona only days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria is devastating," added Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D-Union, in a statement.
“My heart goes out to the residents and families being affected by the unthinkable property damage, power outages, and flooding brought on by this natural disaster. Thank you to those working on the frontline to keep people safe and begin clean-up efforts,” Quijano said.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: How to help victims of hurricane in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic
