By Rafael Torruella | Executive Director
Here at Intercambios Puerto RIco, we continue our efforts to aid in the reconstruction of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Maria and Irma through our committment to serving our participants. We are happy to report that the provision of our clinical and harm reduction services to participants in the eastern side of the island have not only continued without being negatively affected by cuts in local government funding to the department of health, but actually have increased thanks to the support of private foundations and our individual donors. In addition to harm reduction and life saving services, we now have a nurse and a social worker that are able to provide first aid care to participants and connect them to social and health programs that they so desperately need. Connecting to social and medical services is more challenging in the aftermath of the Irma and Maria due to the shrinking availability of doctors in the island who have migrated and the ever-increasing budget cuts resulting from the island's bankruptcy. Finding housing and connecting to medical services requires that many participants travel everyday long distances to other municipalities because they are not available where they live.
However, we still very much need your help in raising the funds to create storm survival kits (that contain water filters, solar portable lights, toilettres, and first aid iterms) that can be distributed to our participants especially as we geared towards a new water rationing season (due to lack of rain in certain areas of the island) and the upcoming hurricane season. Although our modest main office is back in shape and is better prepared to weather a hurricane, we still need to make upgrades that will make it self-sufficient in the event of a major weather disaster and outfitted, so it can serve as a refuge to participants who do not have a safe place to weather the storm. We need your help to continue our efforts to be resilient and effective in the event of a new disaster.
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