Hurricane Fiona Relief Fundraiser

On September 17th of 2022, days before the fifth anniversary of the deadly Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, further destroying its already weak infrastructure. With more than 32 inches of rain, Hurricane Fiona left Puerto Rico struggling with flash flooding, impassible roads, island-wide power outages, mudslides, and death. All these elements came together to create the perfect triggering concoction of desperation, stress, and anxiety that continues to plague Puerto Ricans. Unfortunately, natural disasters are not the only element continuing to infringe on Puerto Rico’s improvement attempts. Puerto Rico’s colonial status and corrupt government have left Puerto Ricans relying on each other for necessities, especially during catastrophes such as Hurricane Fiona.

We are a coalition of organizations based at Northwestern University (NU) that focus efforts on easing and helping Puerto Ricans during these times of need. As a result, we are extending a call to our communities to please donate what they can to help our family in Puerto Rico – 100% of the donations will be given out to the following historical non-profit organizations based in Puerto Rico:

• Taller Salud – Feminist, anti-racist, community-based nonprofit organization with more than 43 years of service in Loíza, Puerto Rico, dedicated to improving women’s access to healthcare, reducing violence in community settings, and fostering economic development through education and activism. Taller Salud has been spearheading the reconstruction of their communities after Hurricane María and organizing efforts to support the community after the emergence of COVID-19. Learn more here: https://en.tallersalud.com/

• Brigada Solidaria del Oeste (BSO) – Community initiative self-managed by colleagues from different organizations, creative spaces, and social struggles. BSO’s objective is to support the development of collective processes in communities located on the island's west side and promote community self-management. After being born from the desire of community members to help after Hurricane María hit the island, BSO has remained active in coordinating support for communities affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes and propitiate mutual support, art, music, and activism. Learn more here: https://www.bsopr.com/

• Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico – Non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide free and accessible legal education and support to low- and middle-income individuals and communities. Ayuda legal focuses on five main lines of work: (1) promote collaboration between entities of the community to facilitate access to justice, organizations and other communities; (2) provide free and accessible legal education; (3) train legal representatives and students; (4) provide legal support; and (5) exercise and facilitate community advocacy efforts. All their resources are free and accessible for anyone who needs them, and their current endeavors are focused on accompanying Puerto Ricans towards a just recovery. Learn more here: https://ayudalegalpr.org/quienes-somos

• Santuario de Animales San Francisco de Asís (SASFA) – Non-profit organization and non-euthanasia shelter engaged in the rescue, rehabilitation, shelter and responsible adoption of cats and dogs. SASFA has worked to improve Puerto Rico's animal welfare for over ten years. After the passage of Hurricane Fiona, their facilities have taken a toll, and many injured animals have been rescued. The organization greatly operates thanks to contributions 100% dedicated to their animals' care, shelter and welfare and depends on donations. Learn more here: https://sasfapr.org/

If you are interested to learn more about the current struggles Puerto Ricans are dealing with, we encourage you to check out independent Puerto Rican reporter Bianca Graulau (https://twitter.com/bgraulau). We appreciate your consideration, and any help you can provide us! As our family in Puerto Rico says, juntos somos más (“together we are more”).

Updated - Organizations in solidarity:

Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) NU Chapter, Northwestern University Graduate Workers (NUGW), Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program Student Organization (ISO), Diversity in Biological Sciences (DiBS), Chicago Graduate Student Association (CGSA), Driskill Graduate Program Student Council (DGP StuCo), Alliance of Chicago Minority Students (ACMS), NU Graduate Student Association (GSA)