How to help Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic now

When Hurricane Fiona hit the already-vulnerable U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, it brought with it 80 mph winds and more than 30 inches of rainfall in some regions. The National Guard rescued more than 1,000 people from rushing floodwaters, and, nearly a week later, most residents remain without power (60 percent) or clean water (33 percent). 

In the Dominican Republic, mudslides and flooding also wiped out homes, crops, and livelihoods. In the wake of Fiona, the water and electrical situation is similar to Puerto Rico – 80 percent were without power as of Friday.

Just last month, protesters in Puerto Rico took to the streets to voice concerns over a series of power outages affecting homes, businesses, and hospitals across the territory. Now, at a time when hospitals are more crucial than ever, the category one storm has once again devastated Puerto Rico’s power grid, which is still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

While recovery efforts continue and power is restored for some, an additional challenge comes in accessing some of Puerto Rico’s mountain communities. The rainfall from Fiona caused massive flooding and devastating landslides that washed out roads and isolated communities, making it close to impossible for many Puerto Ricans to get food, water, and other necessities.

To help you support these communities, we’ve compiled this list of U.S.-based charities that are working on the frontlines in The Dominican Republic and/or Puerto Rico, as well as surrounding areas. All of the charities on the list below are already approved to receive grants through the NCF right away. If you already have a Giving Fund at NCF, log inopens in a new tab today to recommend a grant. If you don’t have a Giving Fundopens in a new tab, you can open oneopens in a new tab in just minutes.

We encourage you to do your own research of these charities. We also advise that you designate that your grant is for Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic. Some of these organizations are working in locations all over the world. This is a developing story. Updates will be made as they become available.

Americares

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Americares’ San Juan team is coordinating with public and private partners, including government response agencies as well as local clinic and nonprofit partners, to target the Patillas, San Lorenzo, Naranjito, Ciales, and Caguas for support. While needs assessments are just getting underway, and in many places are on hold until the flood waters recede, Americares is hearing from partners that there is and will continue to be urgent need for fuel support, solar power systems, hygiene kits, insulin, and psychological first aid (trauma counseling). They are also planning a response in the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Compassion International

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For more than 50 years, Compassion International has worked in the Dominican Republicopens in a new tab, where the organization’s 200+ local church partners serve more than 70,000 children. Despite the difficulties Hurricane Fiona brought, Compassion’s direct financial support and partner coaching to frontline churches is traveling the extra mile to help affected families in their communities. Through these funds, the local churches are helping children and families relocate, cooking for the community (since many lost their ability to acquire food), delivering necessities like water and food, and providing beds and clothes to those who have lost everything. Through local churches, Compassion will continue to assess damage, repair homes, and begin replacing household items to help release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Convoy of Hope

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Convoy of Hope is currently responding to Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Their teams in both places are beginning distribution of supplies to people who need them. In addition, more team members and several truckloads of essential relief supplies are en route to Puerto Rico. Supplies, including food, water, hygiene kits, and baby supplies, are being loaded onto a ship in Florida to get to the island as quickly as possible.

Global Giving

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Global giving is providing support to relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and other affected Caribbean communities through an extensive network of vetted partners in the region. Initially, financial gifts will be used to help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Then, they will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by vetted local organizations.

Mercy Chefs

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Mercy Chefs teams arrived Tuesday in Puerto Rico following Fiona’s landfall. They are providing hot meals and clean water to residents affected by the hurricane and flooding. As the majority of the island is still without power, air conditioning, and potable water, they arrived with their chef team and two water purification units that produce up to 300 gallons of clean water per hour. Working with local churches, they are expanding their distributions across the island over the coming days.

Mercy Corps

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Mercy Corps is surging support to local organizations they have been working with in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria in 2017. They are rapidly distributing items like food, potable water, and hygiene products. The quick activation of Mercy-Corps-supported Resilience Hubs after Fiona helps communities who know their needs best and are first responders during emergencies.

Project Hope

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Project HOPE has deployed emergency response teams to support existing teams on the ground in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in response to Hurricane Fiona. As the storm strengthens and approaches Bermuda, Project HOPE will continue assessing the impacts on health facilities and identifying the most urgent medical needs of those impacted.

Samaritan’s Purse

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Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Assistance Response Team is on the ground in Puerto Rico, working with local churches and government agencies to respond to the tremendous needs caused by Hurricane Fiona – just as they did five years ago when Hurricane Maria hit the island. They are airlifting shelter materials, large-scale water filtration systems, and other essential resources. Gifts for this effort may be designated “Hurricane Relief.”

Water Mission

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Water Mission is a nonprofit Christian engineering organization responding to the historic flooding from Hurricane Fiona in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. A team of rapid responders is on the way to Puerto Ricoopens in a new tab to assess safe water, sanitation, and hygiene needs. After Hurricane Maria in 2017, Water Mission’s response met immediate needs and helped communities rebuildopens in a new tab, often with better equipment than before. Many of the solutions built in 2017 remain operational today.

World Central Kitchen

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World Central Kitchen has relief teams on the ground in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic getting freshly prepared meals to impacted communities and remains ready to scale up to prepare and distribute more fresh food and hot meals in both countries. The team includes chefs and volunteers that supported WCK’s efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the island five years ago.

Photo courtesy of Mercy Chefs

Jill Foley Turner

Jill Foley Turner is NCF’s Director of Content and Editorial. She leads the marketing team that curates content for NCF’s Saturday 7 newsletter. She loves writing stories from the Bible, stories about generous people, and articles about trends and research into what is happening in the world of giving.

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