Disaster Response Puerto Rico Project #29771

Support Hygiene Needs in Puerto Rico

by Jake's Network of Hope

Project Report | Oct 8, 2018
Dignity, hope, & confidence

By Stephanie Bowers | Project Leader

Dignity. Hope. Confidence.

These emotions are vital to overcoming the devastating circumstances of poverty.

We see the need for emotional freedom on a regular basis, and the amazing impact a single donation of a cloth diaper kit will have on a family or individual in a desperate situation.

Sanitation needs are not an option - and diapers directly contribute to creating a healthy environment for everyone, from the young to the old. This expands to our emotions, too, which is where we loop back to those feelings at the beginning of our story.

Take our neighbors in Puerto Rico, for example. Unfortunately, many caregivers opt not to work because the cost of daycare barely covers wages earned. So, many also struggle to afford diapers along with access to all other basic needs for a quality life.

This means they go hungry. Diaper rash goes untreated and can turn into yeast infections. Families then struggle to afford to treat infections, and it spirals.

A cloth diaper can turn everything around: Many mothers who’ve received this gift from Jake’s Diapers cry with the sense of relief these reusable diapers provide. With access to a cloth diaper community, they feel support in raising their children and experiencing that quality life.

Dignity. Hope. Confidence.

Thanks to you, there are over 1,000 families in Puerto Rico that now have enough diapers to keep their babies clean, dry, and healthy. This in turn means they are now living with more dignity, more hope, and higher confidence.

It is truly an amazing thing you have done, and I can not thank you enough. I encourage you to reach me at stephanie@jakesdiapers.org with any questions you may have. I'd love to hear from you.

~ Stephanie

P.S. GlobalGiving is DOUBLING ALL DONATIONS to support our work in Puerto Rico. Any gift, no matter the size, adds up to more dignity, more hope, and higher confidence.

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Sep 12, 2018
Dignity, Hope & Confidence for Puerto Rico

By Stephanie Bowers | Project Leader

Iveliz

Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico last September. Now one-year later, power is still spotty and largely dependent on generators. Internet and cell services are back, but only intermittently. Life for residents in Puerto Rico is nowhere near close to normalcy.

Poverty was already widespread throughout the territory before Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017.

“Puerto Rico had a very unique situation before Maria. There are a lot of people with a large need and Maria uncovered those realities to the world,” shares Iveliz. Iveliz was born & raised in Puerto Rico, and has years of experience volunteering in humanitarian relief with our Puerto Rico Diaper Drop A.M.A.R. “We still have a lot of communities without power and electricity here - so it’s difficult. Also, [there is a lack of] running and clean water.”

As we approach the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, we want to help Puerto Rico in a big way! Thanks to the Disaster Recovery Network at GlobalGiving, all donations are being matched, dollar for dollar, while matching funds remain. Any gift you make, no matter the size, adds up to big change. That means more diapers, more hope, and more dignity for Puerto Rico!

The good news? Over the course of the last year, your generous gifts have already impacted over 1,000 lives in communities across the territory by providing 12,239 cloth diapers to families and caretakers in need.

That’s not all. You’ve made a strong environmental impact too. The total cloth diapers delivered equals 6,119,500 disposable diapers, preventing over 4 million pounds of diapers from ever entering landfills. (Did you know disposable diapers take over 300 years to decompose?).

But our work continues.

“It’s very, very, very important to keep doing what you are doing right now. It’s peace of mind for those we serve, and so much more.” Iveliz said.

Every dollar makes a difference! Let’s show Puerto Rico we’ve got their backs.

With our thanks,

Stephanie Bowers, Founder & CEO

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Aug 13, 2018
ReHace: Rebuilding Communities with Hope

By Stephanie Bowers | Project Leader

It is a joy to share with you the following letter, from one of our Diaper Drop partners, ReHace (Rebuilding Communities with Hope), a community outreach program of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico. Through your generous support, we've been providing ReHace with cloth diapers for persons of all ages.

Dear Stephanie:

May the peace of our source of hope, Jesus Christ, be with you.

The Spaniard author Saint John of the Cross, in his work The Dark Night of the Soul tell us about the adversities human beings and institutions face in our walk-through life. Puerto Rico and The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico have lived “the dark night of the soul”, but on this dark moment, you have been light that enlightened our lives.

I wish to express our deepest gratitude for your diapers donation. Your offering has helped us alleviate the need of families and support the Ministries and Mission of our Methodist Church of Puerto Rico and the REHACE project. Hurricane María destroyed most part of our Island but she could not destroy our passion to serve and love the ones in need. Your help represents a gift from heaven that humbly and gratefully we receive.

Six (6) months have passed and most Puerto Ricans are still suffering precarious needs and living under tough conditions, lacking electricity and running water. To bring some relief, we have been visiting affected communities distributing non-perishable food and water, food vouchers, first aid kits including cleaning buckets, hygiene kits, women kits, mosquito repellents, solar lights, radios, batteries, among many other articles. We have also served over 30,000 hot meals. We have provided spiritual support distributing Upper Rooms daily devotionals. Knowing the importance of medical assistance, we established 7 health clinics in local churches and provided nurses and physicians home visits.

We are part of the solution that our people cry for and need. We are very aware than our efforts are “as small as a mustard seed” if seen against the complex and difficult reality that our people are living. But as Jesus’ parable suggests, our faith is like the mustard seed that Christ, the Lord, Crucified and Resurrected will grow and will bear fruits of justice, hope, love, redemption and Grace.

With our deepest gratitude,

Rev. Hector Ortiz Vidol

Thanks for helping babies!

~ Stephanie

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