I need your help, Mar

Two months later, schools and businesses remain shut, homes remain destroyed and/or compromised, and families remain in shelters or living in tents, while local authorities struggle to provide relief and push forward with cleanup and rebuilding. Anxiety only grows as the earth continues to tremble daily, multiple times, including when least expected.

Hello, hello, hello!

Lin Miranda here. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017, I wrote to you asking for your help. And you and fellow MoveOn members responded in droves. Today, I write to you again, Mar, because Puerto Rico is again facing a climate emergency.

Since December 28, 2019, a series of earthquakes has been impacting the southwest region of the island, displacing thousands of families, crippling the local economy, destroying vital infrastructure, and further delaying the ongoing rebuilding process that started in the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Maria.¹

For nearly two months, hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks (sometimes dozens per day) have been registered. Widespread damage occurred with the largest earthquake so far, 6.4 on the Richter scale.²

Two months later, schools and businesses remain shut, homes remain destroyed and/or compromised, and families remain in shelters or living in tents, while local authorities struggle to provide relief and push forward with cleanup and rebuilding. Anxiety only grows as the earth continues to tremble daily, multiple times, including when least expected.

Two months later, the cameras are gone. The support Puerto Rico was getting from so many friends in the United States and around the world has moved on. Once more, Puerto Rico is left to help itself while Washington and the Republican administration block aid for the island.³

Our fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico need our help.

As in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program has a team on the ground that is providing emergency relief and long-term support to those affected by the earthquake in Puerto Rico and the ensuing aftershocks through their network of community-based organizations.

The Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program needs your help to continue this crucial work. Will you donate $3? 100% of your donation will go to their work helping with disaster relief in Puerto Rico. Click here to make a tax-deductible gift.

We've shown up in the streets across New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., demanding that the Trump administration release its hold on disaster relief for Hurricane Maria.^4,5

Let's continue to show up for our fellow citizens. Let's continue to help Puerto Rico rise up.

Siempre,

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Sources: 

1. "A deadly earthquake has most of Puerto Rico with no power, no water and residents fear tremors will bring more destruction," CNN, January 7, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/117134?t=3&akid=258144%2E10220574%2EIsGXXn

2. Ibid.

3. "The continuing disaster aid crisis in Puerto Rico, explained," Vox, February 24, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/117142?t=5&akid=258144%2E10220574%2EIsGXXn

4. "President Trump lifts hold on $8 billion for Puerto Rico; Protests held in New York City," ABC7 New York, January 15, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/117143?t=7&akid=258144%2E10220574%2EIsGXXn

5. "Months After Blowing Deadline, Trump Administration Lifts Hold On Puerto Rico Aid," NPR, January 15, 2020
https://act.moveon.org/go/117135?t=9&akid=258144%2E10220574%2EIsGXXn

Contributions to MoveOn Civic Action are not tax-deductible for income tax purposes. This email was sent to Mar Alfaro on March 1, 2020. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. If you'd like to receive less frequent emails from MoveOn, you can click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.