The Impact of Hurricane Fiona
On September 18, Hurricane Fiona made impact on Puerto Rico, knocking out power and safe water on the entire island. The storm stripped pavement from the roads, tore off roofs, flooded airports and sent torrents pouring into homes. The government anticipates it may take several weeks until electricity is fully restored.
The island is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico five years ago. People are experiencing acute stress that is compounded by the trauma of Hurricane Maria in 2017, the series of earthquakes of 2019-2020 and the ongoing hardships of the pandemic.
While staff and volunteers of the YMCAs of San Juan and Ponce are safe, both YMCAs anticipate major need in the weeks ahead, especially among underserved communities. Staff teams in both YMCAs are doing everything they can to reopen the YMCAs as soon as possible to serve the community.
How to Help
Your World Service gift will help YMCAs in San Juan and Ponce respond to vital community needs, including the distribution of food and water, a place to charge phone batteries and receive important information about services and resources. In addition, the YMCAs will provide safe spaces for children while parents focus on rebuilding and addressing other needs.
100% of your donation will be used to help the YMCAs in San Juan and Ponce.