On Wednesday, September 20th, 2017 Puerto Rico was hit by the worst natural disaster recorded in the island modern history. Since then, the people of Puerto Rico has been suffering from lack of food, drinking water, electricity, and communications. Some lost their homes to flooding or the extreme winds.

I was traveling for work the week the hurricane struck and couldn’t go back home until October 1st. I lost communication with my loved ones for more than three days. While I was in the US, everywhere I went people were aware of the catastrophe and asked me, how can I help? So, here are three ways you can Help Puerto Rico NOW.

Donate

A number of established charities from United for Puerto Rico to UNICEF and Save the Children are soliciting financial donations to assist in the relief effort. In the early stages of disaster relief, it’s better to donate cash rather than supplies as organizations on the ground can route money exactly where it’s needed. Material donations like food, clothing, and supplies tend to require transportation, which is expensive and currently presents logistical challenges with many roads destroyed or flooded. You can donate to:

• United for Puerto Rico
• PayPal Giving Fund, a 501(c)3 charity. PayPal covers all fees.

Other ways of donating

Spread the word

Don’t let the news disappear in your friends’ newsfeed. Some people are still not aware of the extent of the damage. A simple share or post on social media can go a long way, so any channel we use to spread the word may convince others to help as well. Use the following hashtags:

• #hurricanemaria
• #unidosporpuertorico
• #puertoricounited
• #helppuertoriconow

Help Jumpstart the Local Economy

This event was a hard reset for most businesses in Puerto Rico. Two hurricanes in a month surely tested our stability. For example, there are a lot of restaurants that are operating at a minimum capacity to provide services on the island. Other businesses in the services industry, like ours, are ready to work and move Puerto Rico forward, but since most of our clients are in the Caribbean, we haven’t been able to move full speed. So, there is another way you can help us jumpstart the economy while taking advantage of this 8 benefits of nearshore outsourcing to Puerto Rico.

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