| Dear Neighbor:
Like many of you, we have been greatly alarmed by the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Maria and this month’s deadly earthquake in Mexico.
Hurricane Maria, which decimated parts of the Caribbean, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where it caused catastrophic flooding and wiped out power across the entire island, has been especially hard-hitting.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways that we can help those who have been impacted by these terrible disasters.
HURRICANE MARIA RELIEF EFFORTS
There are many organizations actively working to assist Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the other areas of the Caribbean that were badly damaged by Hurricane Maria, including:
Those wishing to help out our neighbors in Puerto Rico can also text UNIDOS to 41444 and/or contact the Hispanic Federation, which has established its own Hurricane Relief Fund to aid those on the Island who were affected by Hurricane Maria. For more information, visit www.hispanicfederation.org.
Additionally, the City has identified 18 firehouses and EMS stations across the five boroughs where New Yorkers can donate the following critically-needed items for Hurricane Maria relief:
- Diapers
- Baby Food
- Batteries
- First Aid Supplies
- Feminine Hygiene Products
For a list of locations and the hours within which donations are being accepted, please click here or visit the City’s website at www.nyc.gov. However, please note that the City is only collecting the items listed above.
MEXICO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS
Relief efforts are also underway to help those affected by this month’s powerful earthquake in Mexico.
Here’s a list, originally published in the NY Times, of local and international organizations that are providing aid:
- Topos México is a nonprofit rescue brigade made up of volunteers that was created after a 1985 earthquake. The group posted to Twitter information on how to donate through PayPal and its bank accounts, and thanked people for their support.For more information, visit www.topos.mx. (Please note: Website is in Spanish.)
- Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization, has staff members in Mexico City and has pledged that 100 percent of its donations will go directly to relief efforts, which it says will include facilitating the delivery of medical supplies to affected areas.For more information, visit www.directrelief.org.
- GlobalGiving, a crowdfunding organization, has pledged that all money donated to its earthquake fund will go to recovery and relief efforts.For more information, visit www.globalgiving.org.
- Fondo Unido Mexico, part of the United Way network, has created an emergency fund to help the areas affected by the earthquake as well as by the recent series of hurricanes.For more information, visit http://www.fondounido.org.mx/es/EmergencyFund.
A WORD OF ADVICE
When deciding to donate, please be sure to visit www.CharitiesNYS.com – the New York State Attorney General’s one-stop resource for charitable organizations, fundraisers, grantmakers and members of the public. There you will find important tips on charitable giving, as well as information about other helpful resources to check before donating, such as Charity Navigator.
Our heartfelt thanks to any of you who are able to help out during this time of great need.
Sincerely,
New York City Council |