ELMIRA, N.Y.(WETM-TV) — December 28th, 2019, parts of Puerto Rico, have experienced more than 500 earthquakes. Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the situation “a very serious, ongoing crisis.”
Cuomo has sent 25 building inspectors to help along with 26 bilingual mental health professionals, to assist people who are dealing with the devastation.
After schools and buildings were knocked over by unstable ground, Puerto Rico’s Governor Wanda Vázquez declared a state of emergency as she activated the National Guard to help residents.
Thousands are still unclear about their living situations. Many families are sleeping in tents and still in need of essentials to get through the day.
One Local man here in the Twin Tiers takes helping your fellow neighbor to new heights. Fidel Rivera thought of the idea to help those affected by the mass amounts of earthquakes. He’s doing everything he can do to help by sending much-needed items to help those in sheltered camps sites, like the ones in Ponce, a city in Puerto Rico.
Rivera is in constant contact with his aunt Sency, who is receiving and disbursing the items in the Ponce campsites to the many families.
A bartender at Teals Tavern in Elmira, he has now set up an earthquake relief donation box in the bar that will go to the Ponce campsite.
Items needed to be donated
- Dry good food
- Personal hygiene tools (toothbrushes, toothpaste)
- Coloring books (fun items for children)
- Clothing in all sizes (both male and female)
- Shoes
- Medical Supplies
