Resilience tool for children after Hurricane Maria

After Hurrican Maria the tutoring and integral development projects that P.E.C.E.S., Inc. implements in Juncos, Humacao, and Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico became wonderful oasis of peace for children who had suffered so profoundly the effects of the Hurricane.  The staff of P.E.C.E.S., Inc. listened to their stories and continues to help them deal with the on-going stress that is the result of the hurricane. The five year old child who related how her home was blown away by the storm is not easy to forget.  All of the children from Punta Santiago have related how they lost their belongings when the cyclonic ocean wave came throughout their community. However, as they come to tutoring, share their stories with our youth mentors and social workers, participate in artistic and healing activities -- the children come alive again. Most of the children still do not have electricity in their homes.  Their schools were closed until mid or late November after the hurricane - they lost months of academic preparation.  P.E.C.E.S., Inc. is helping over 400 children through tutoring and, even more importantly, through mentoring, social work intervention, art and artistic events, recreation, community activities, providing food and supplies, and offering support to entire families.  Almost all of the children and their families suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.  Flooding continued in the communities that we serve long after Maria had gone. The children report that when it rains, they become stressed and think that their homes will be flooded again. The children are learning resiliency skills, working through their emotions, learning how to handle their very real fears while at the same time P.E.C.E.S., Inc. is helping their families to re-establish their lives. Finally, between September 20, 2017 and December 31,2017 P.E.C.E.S., Inc. has served 12,632 families, given out more than 250,000 poounds of supplies, facilitated health clinics, medical, and psychological services to 586 individuals, and impacted over 43,658 lives in 13 municipalities. Most importantly, the children and families of the communities most directly impacted by Hurricane Maria are inserted in a process of recovery, resiliency, renewed hope, and ever brighter horizons.  And the work can and must continue. There is still so much to do.

Links:

• Come and see our website