TAMPA, Fla. — Bay Area relief groups are returning from Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from a series of strong quakes.
- Puerto Rico still struggling from aftermath of earthquakes
- Bay Area relief groups have returned from the island
The images of homes reduced to rubble are still etched in Jeannie Calderin's mind.
Her group, Somos Puerto Rico Tampa, along with Course of Action, just returned from the southern part of Puerto Rico.
They handed out supplies to people affected by the series of powerful quakes.
“I went to a school, a community school,” Calderin said. “The teachers got together and they’re teaching in a driveway in a house with tents on top and they needed supplies.”
The groups experienced the tremors firsthand during their trip.
“49. Just in the first day that I was there,” Calderin said.
The uncertainty of another destructive quake has left islanders with crippling fear.
That fear has prompted many to sleep outside in tents, especially more vulnerable populations.
“I didn’t expect to see so many elderly people, bedridden people, underneath tents,” Calderin said.
Students are also being forced to miss class time due to structurally unsound schools.
“There are 94 seniors that are about to graduate. If they don’t start classes next week they will not be able to graduate,” Calderin said.
But, Calderin notes, the silver lining in the recovery process — unity.
“Even though they’re going through a very rough time everybody has kind of united,” she said.
The relief groups will continue to fundraise. If you want to help, you can donate here.
