CLEARWATER, Fla. — While families continue to look for resources to recover from the recent hurricanes, the Alianza Center, which serves the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities in Florida, is looking to help.

What You Need To Know

  • The Alianza Center is helping hurricane-affected Hispanics with resources

  • Eliseo Santana, the Gulf Coast Region manager for the Alianza Center, has collected hygiene products to give out

  • The items Santana has collected will be distributed at a local church along with warm food

Eliseo Santana’s living room is a couch full of hygiene products.

“We are going to be giving this to the impacted families that are there because we’re just spreading the love of the community,” he said.

He’s the Gulf Coast Region manager for Alianza Center and also part of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Florida. 

Santana says the recent hurricanes have meant the organizations have had to step up their efforts.

He says some Hispanics are hesitant to ask for help or may not qualify for FEMA assistance, while others are afraid to look for a new place to live even after losing their homes or lodging.

“Many of them could not process it because of the shock,” said Santana. “And they refuse to go out of that area thinking of how they are going to get their children to school, how are they going to get to work while many of them do not have transportation.”

Whether it’s in person or making calls, Santana wants people to know it’s ok to ask for help.

“Trust, education, teaching them how to be resilient,” he said. “I’m blessed and I’m trying to give that blessing to others.”

While the challenges of getting assistance to non-English-speaking communities remain steep, organizations like the Alianza Center are rushing in to help bridge the gap.

The items Santana has collected will be distributed at a local church along with warm food.