HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Linda Perez has a mission.

She works tirelessly to help others in times of need.

Perez’s non-profit organization Boricuas De Corazon, Inc. provides first responder assistance to victims of any disaster in the USA and abroad.

The group trains and prepares volunteers to help in hurricane disasters and provide humanitarian aid.

After providing assistance following the devastating Category 5 Hurricane Maria in 2017, Perez left her native Puerto Rico to base her disaster relief efforts in Florida.

They now respond to any disaster. Be it the Tampa Bay area, other parts of the US and other countries.

“We’re helping people with doctors, we’re helping people with water,” Perez said. “We go with generators and we go with food distribution.”

Responding to tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes and even volcanoes, Perez has organized response teams locally and accross the globe in places like Texas, California, Louisiana, the Bahamas, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

But that’s not all. She also is spearheading a campaign against human trafficking.

“We are seeing a lot of needs of parents that are coming that they are having missing children for some reason,” Perez said. “Not only (in) Tampa, but Florida Statewide.”

The staff is all volunteer, no salaries are paid. The organizations website welcomes financial support from the community.

The group also has free food distribution at its Brandon offices the second and third Saturday of every month.

In a few weeks, Perez will be off to Honduras with food, clothing and kids toys on another humanitarian mission.

“I was thinking one of the purposes that god gave me to move from my country that I really love was that I had to help more people,” Perez said. “Not just on my island.”