Relief Trip To Puerto Rico

Over Winter Break, Sabrina Maggiore travelled to Puerto Rico with Student Association to aid in the recovery of life and property for the victims of Hurricane Maria. This is Sabrina’s account of the relief trip.

The International introduces Sabrina’s article as part two of a three part series focusing on different perspectives on the disaster in Puerto Rico. Read part one by Paola García.

“Take it all in, who knows the next time you’ll be back,” my mother said to me as we prepared to head home to New York from Puerto Rico in mid-August. I had just visited the island for the first time. We had gone to the tourist traps, met family members, and sat under the gorgeous red Flamboyan trees taking in the natural wonders of El Yunque National Rainforest.

Four months later, my mother’s words rang sharply in my ears when I, along with twenty-three other volunteers from Syracuse University, headed to San Juan on December 16. It felt surreal to be going back to Puerto Rico, but this time it was different. It was just under three months since Hurricane Maria made landfall.

I peeked through the small oval window of the airplane to watch the sky turn shades of red and orange before the ominous gray clouds swallowed the sun. We arrived at 6:31 p.m. in Puerto Rican time and immediately headed to a former seminary, the place where we would be staying.

Traveling at night was an adventure on its own as only half of the island had gotten its power back. The poorly lit highways unveiled what seemed to be mangled trees littering the sides of the roads in the darkness. The once beautiful Flamboyans, trees native to Puerto Rico, certainly had taken a beating.

We woke up early the next day to meet Andres, the pastor who directed our service work. He was the first to explain the extent of the impact of Maria to us. The storm had caused an increase in depression in people on the island and thus, rising rates of suicide and crime. Despite this, Andres encouraged the islanders to remain hopeful.

“Before [Maria], people would stay inside and sit in front of their PlayStations, but the storm has given us all reasons to go out and speak to the neighbors we had never spoken to,” Andres said, reflecting upon the renewed sense of community on the island. The people who had endured so much were going to work through the devastation and come out stronger than ever. We continuously heard the expression, “¡Puerto Rico se levanta!” roughly translating to “Puerto Rico will lift itself up!”

We spent the majority of our time packing and delivering necessities to different communities on the island. We delivered items such as water filtration systems, food and hygiene kits to families. Through this process, I had the opportunity to meet so many inspiring islanders. Every interaction continuously showed how loving, generous and resilient these people were in the face of the devastation they endured.

We only truly grasped the extent of the loss when we met Alex, a paralyzed man whose home was completely flooded by the storm. My teammates and I dedicated the entire day to help him by sorting through his salvageable belongings and power-washing his house. During our lunch break, we ventured further into Canovanas, the neighborhood where Alex used to live. The streets of the barrio were lined with piles of trashed furniture and goods in front of battered houses with blown-away roofs. The islanders resorted to collecting rainwater. I recall thinking how tragic it was that Alex’s house was in better shape than the remaining ones in the neighborhood. Members of our team were now visibly upset. As great as it felt to help Alex, I too, couldn’t help but feel down. The gravity of the devastation had finally set in.

As we were finishing work on his house, Alex said he wanted a picture with all of us. He hugged and personally thanked each of us. Upon saying my goodbyes, I suddenly found myself tearing up. My heart swelled and I was overcome by a wave of emotion. At that moment, I realized the significance of our work.

Later, as we sat by the vans, we talked about the importance of advocacy in moving forward. Our work couldn’t end after we left the island. There was still too much that needed to be done. From that day forward, Puerto Rico had gained advocates in each of us.

Today, the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico is ongoing. One-fourth of the island still does not have electricity. Homes are still being rebuilt. Families are still struggling with food insecurity. Individuals are still trying to rationalize the loss they endured during the storm.

There is no denying that our work barely scraped the surface. But to the people we met, we did make a difference. We gave Alex back the home he had spent his whole life building. We helped him inch closer to a return to normalcy. And that, to Alex, meant the world. As our supervisor, Ray said, “For the land of Puerto Rico, our help is like pouring a cup of water into the Atlantic Ocean. But for the individual, it’s like pouring the Atlantic Ocean into a cup.” He was right.

When people ask me about the trip, I say it was life-changing. I often think about how grateful I am to have had the chance to go back to Puerto Rico. I am proud to be Puerto Rican and identify with these beautiful islanders whose strength continues to inspire me.