Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico a week ago, making it one of the largest environmental disasters to strike the island since the deadly Hurricane Maria exactly five years ago. As the storm made its way through the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and Bermuda, thousands were left without homes due to severe flooding and mudslides. In Puerto Rico nearly every single home on the island lost power—and became another painful reminder of how Boricuans feel severely underserved by their power grids and politicians that profit off them.
While global outlets question how millions of people still don’t have access to electricity a week later, natives on the island know this has been a long time coming. Bad Bunny’s latest video for “El Apagón” went viral just days before Hurricane Fiona hit the shores of San Juan, and it couldn’t have come at a better time: Visuals for the anti-government, perreo-worthy track are interlaced with reporting from journalist Bianca Graulau. In the 22-minute music video-documentary hybrid, Graulau tracks the way outside forces and corruption have infiltrated the island at the behest of the natives who live there.
Now, with one of the strongest storms the island has seen in years leveling communities for miles, the outside world wants to help. President Joe Biden declared a national emergency, moving funds and resources to aid the recuperation of Puerto Rico via the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The organization tweeted out that cash donations are the best way to ensure your support is going as far as it can. While the list of organizations that FEMA is backing up—including the American Red Cross—are well established, more and more people feel the best way to help those on the ground is to get in touch directly with Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and other affected communities to see what they need.
Alexandra-Marie Figueroa Miranda, the digital director of the Center for Popular Democracy, is one of those advising people to seek out organizations that have been doing the work for years within their communities, not just when it’s a convenient photo op. After witnessing gross mismanagement of aid and resources during Hurricane Maria’s aftermath, she’s grown wary of outside forces on the island.
“What we’ve learned from Hurricane Maria and previous disasters is that we cannot trust the government,” Figueroa Miranda says, “and there are very few nonprofit and grassroots that can actually be trusted to not only collect what our community needs but to also make sure they are handed directly to the most affected communities that need immediate relief.” Though she currently lives in Puerto Rico, she was working in Boston when Hurricane Maria struck and recalls feeling helpless at the time as she was thousands of miles away and not sure how to help her fellow Boricuans. As a result, Figueroa Miranda created an event tracker and database to follow fundraising events and keep organizations accountable, both within and outside Puerto Rico. “I remember the feeling of not only urgency, but complete grief and a paralyzing sentiment of inadequacy,” she says. “I thought, We need to offer people a way to have a centralized database of information.”
As organizations—both reputable and questionable—flock to the island in order to provide relief, those outside the country can use her Hurricane Fiona relief event tracker to organize relief efforts to directly go into the hands of the people who need it most. Below are a few vetted community-led local organizations you can support throughout Puerto Rico and other islands rebuilding after Hurricane Fiona.
Taller Salud
This historic grassroots and feminist organization based in Puerto Rico is actively seeking donations to fund basic necessities like over-the-counter medicine, canned food, water filters, and lanterns to help in the immediate aftermath of the storm. You can donate by mail or online, with details being found on their Twitter.
María Fund
This organization, created after Hurricane Maria leveled the island in 2017, has created an open letter to the internet calling out the government’s lack of action and transparent plans to repair the island. They’re working with HASER, Federation of Teachers of Puerto Rico, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, and other community-based organizations to raise donations for both immediate and long-term needs. You can donate directly to their newly founded Hurricane Fiona Fund on fionaresponse.org
Brigada Solidaria del Oeste
After Hurricane Maria ravaged the island five years ago, Brigada Solidaria del Oeste was born out of necessity to give back and rebuild the community through the arts. They’re currently taking monetary donations and asking for supplies to help in the wake of the storm. You can send money via PayPal to support their efforts by going directly on their Instagram or by sending supplies to their donation location.
Fundación Cruz Jiminián
This Dominican Republic–based organization is one of the groups leading the charge on the ground, originally founded to get safe and equal access to medical services. The founding doctor, Cruz Jiminián, said that he and his team are currently in touch with people in affected areas, stating that they would send out medical help to those in need. You can donate, with details found on their Instagram. They’re currently working with a private University in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic’s capital.
World Central Kitchen
Founded by Chef José Andrés, this food-focused aid organization shared that its team was preparing hot meals and sandwiches to distribute to those affected by Hurricane Fiona. You can donate directly here or follow their progress via World Central Kitchen’s Instagram.
