Today, nearly two months after Hurricane Maria Devastated Puerto Rico, over half of the population remains without power.
Telecommunications are operating at about 50% capacity and cellphone service at 48%. One in every five Puerto Ricans still lack potable water. The most urgent needs are hot meals for vulnerable populations (children, disabled, elderly, at-risk youth) and reliable power sources to restore lighting, cooking, electronic device recharging, communications, refrigeration of fresh foods, infant milk and medications (insulin, antibiotics, immunizations, etc.), and keep essential medical devices operating (e.g. CPAP, Oxygen Concentrators, Drip IV's, etc.).
Power Up Puerto Rico
COH will establish urgently needed weather-proof, reliable solar power solutions to "turn on the lights" in rural Puerto Rico as part of our "Power Up P.R." campaign "#enciendelaluzenpr." Through a partnership with Goal Zero, continuous power sources will be provided to restore lighting, cooking, electronic device recharging, communications, refrigeration of fresh foods, infant milk and medications (insulin, antibiotics, immunizations, etc.), and keep essential medical devices operating (e.g. CPAP, Oxygen Concentrators, Drip IV's, etc.).
Feed the Poor and Most Vulnerable
COH will distribute over 33,333 meals to some of poorest and most vulnerable victims of Hurricane Maria. We will focus the delivery in the mountainous areas where little to no help currently exists for the elderly, at-risk-youths, homeless, disabled, unemployed and struggling families in public housing projects to the population in rural Puerto Rico through a Mobile Mass Feeding Station (mMFS). We will build capacity by partnering with United Way PR and Centros Sor Isolina Ferre's (CSIF).