COMMUNITY-BASED DONATIONS FOR PUERTO RICO HURRICANE RELIEF
Most people in the USA and around the world are donating to either one or two puerto rican donation funds: Unidos por Puerto Rico, Hispanic Federation, and ConPRmetidos.Â
Now I canât speak for the last two and the work theyâve been doing, but most people here are really extremely skeptical of Unidos por Puerto Rico. Why? Its run by the FIrst Lady. The government here is extremely corrupt and there are many reports of parts of the administration skimming off hurricane relief and donations (mostly mayors, but câmon everyone knows this goes higher up). Plus their donations are not getting to where they are needed the most. Its mostly civilians getting donations to hard-hit and hard to reach towns!
And anyways, what all three of those orgs are doing is distributing those donations to smaller orgs that work on the ground and are community based.Â
SO WHY NOT SKIP THE BUREAUCRACY! DONATE DIRECTLY TO TRUSTED COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS DOING ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE! PICK THE THING YOU CARE MOST ABOUT AND DONATE!!!!
HEREâS A HUGE MASTERLIST THAT WILL BE UPDATED SINCE I NOW HAVE THE POWER OF WIFI AND ELECTRICITY AT MY HANDS!Â
PLEASE FUCKING DONATE IF YOU HATE COLONIALISM, RACISM, TRUMP AND RICKY ROSSELLĂ!!!Â
DONATE TO SAVE PUERTO RICAN LIVES AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH US!
DONATE!
1. Casa Pueblo de Adjuntas is a radical, award-winning, environmental organization that has been operating for years in opposition to the economic exploitation of Puerto Rican land. They are currently engaged in a campaign to buy solar lightbulbs to distribute to the town of Adjuntas, hit by Category 5 winds. Its citizens will probably not have electricity until February since it is in the interior of the island, with some of the highest peaks around. Its one of the worst affected towns. Living in the dark is miserable, and you can buy a lightbulb for these good people for 10$!Â
2. El Departamento de la Comida (The Department of Food) is a radical kitchen in Puerto Rico focused on reviving sustainable agriculture in Puerto Rico. Its run by awesome queer people who have a radical vision for agricultural development in the islands, especially after we lost over 80% of our crops that make up an integral part of our diet and economy for mountainous towns. They have a bunch of cool and desperately necessary projects you can donate to here  and hereÂ
3. The Center for a New Economy is a center left (? think of a little to the left Clinton i guess), nonpartisan think tank focused on developing a stable economy for Puerto Rico. They are against the austerity measures for the Island are trying to lobby Congress for disaster relief. You can donate to them here.
4. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico are an important community organization serving marginalized communities like LoĂza (historically Afro-Puerto Rican) where poverty tends to become entrenched due to shitty economic policies, racism, and classism. They are directly involved in the communities you are donating to help. Donate here.
5. The Vieques Animal Rescue is the only no-kill shelter on the island of Vieques, part of the Puerto Rican archipelago. It suffered severe damage as the eye of Hurricane MarĂa passed over it directly. Please donate.
6. The Sato Project is another rescue organization that is doing amazing work trying to rescue animals in Puerto Rico. The Island has a severe street dog and cat problem, and its only getting worse as people leave the Island en masse and canât take their pets. Please donate here.
7. The Caño MartĂn Peña or G-8 Fund is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION! They won the United Nations World Habitat Award for their Community Land Trust. Look, this place lies in prime real estate in San Juan, and for years they have tried to displace this poor, marginalized community to gentrify the area and build apartments for rich people. The people in this community have stood up to rich asshole puerto ricans and gringos and are almost completely auto-sufficient. Their community lies in a canal, so they experienced extreme flooding and destruction. I canât stress enough how radical and awesome they are so please, please fucking donate to them!
8. Hurricane MarĂa Community Recovery Fund is a fund created by three trusted organizations: Taller Salud in LoĂza, the G-8 I mentioned above, and the Centro para Desarrollo PolĂtico, Educativo, y Cultural in Caguas. Its community based and the donations will be spent according to a committee of Puerto Ricans from the Island and Diaspora, to ensure the greatest transparency. Please donate. These organizations work in the most marginalized communities on the Island, bringing basic and important services!
9. FundaciĂłn El Plato Caliente (Foundation Hot Plate) is a bunch of local restaurants and chefs working together to provide free hot meals to Puerto Ricans across the Island. They were just founded after Hurricane Maria and are already distributing upwards of 2000 plates per day! In THREE WEEKS! Puerto Ricans are still without electricity, so a hot plate of food is hard to come by, especially when most people have no income bc they are out of work. PLEASE DONATE HERE (paypal) or HERE (Their FB page has a picture with a Venmo, ATH Movil and other ways to donate). Â
10. Iniciativa Comunitaria (Community Initiative) is an organization helping  people without access to medical care or who have been traditionally marginalized by the healthcare system such as: LGBT people who are HIV+, addicts many of whom are homeless, sex workers and other marginalized people. Right now they are helping the communities of San Juan, Toa Baja (site of deadly floods) and LoĂza (that Afro-Boricua marginalized community I was talking about earlier). You can purchase a shirt intended for the Puerto Rican diaspora here (says strong roots, united hearts âits intended for puerto ricans but i bet its great for sleeping in!) or you can donate via paypal here.
11. Campamento Contra La Junta (Camp Against the Board) are a group of radical leftwing activists who are against the Fiscal Control Board, imposed by Congress last year. They occupied a space in front of the Federal Court Building last year. Think something along the lines of Occupy Wall Street, but perhaps more anarchist-y. Theyâre currently buying provisions, loading them up on their cars, and going to communities in dire need of help. You can donate to their paypal here or go to their facebook page for other ways to donate.
12. Comité Boricua en la Diåspora (Boricua Committee in the Diaspora) is a group of leftwing radical activists from the Bronx who coordinate help and activities against the colonial nature of Puerto Rico between the Islands and those on the mainland. They are currently engaged in helping the Island from the mainland, mainly NYC. You can donate to them here and they have a better explanation of where the fund will go.
