By Alixandra Wilens
Staff Writer
Puerto Rico is in the midst of a monumental recovery effort after Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory on Sept. 20. To help, the Division of Student Affairs is facilitating “Hurricane Relief for Puerto Rico,” a collection drive that will run until Nov. 10.
The Division of Student Affairs wanted to find a way to aid in the relief efforts. “When we first heard of the devastation that Hurricane Maria inflicted on Puerto Rico, we immediately began searching for ways to donate and help. One of the first opportunities we became aware of was Mayor de Blasio’s efforts through New York City. The Division of Student Affairs decided quickly that this was a great effort to work alongside, and began collecting items on behalf of the NYC drive,” said Colin Sullivan, the director of communication for Student Affairs.
The community is encouraged to donate items based off of Mayor de Blasio’s initiative, including diapers, baby food, batteries, first-aid supplies and feminine hygiene products. Donations can be dropped off in the Student Center, Room 260, which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Victoria Gonzalez, a sophomore and community health major, said, “I think it’s good that Hofstra’s supporting [Puerto Rico] because [the university is] so diverse. I’m sure that there is a good chunk of people from Puerto Rico or who have families in Puerto Rico that need help right now.”
Gonzalez is one student who has family in Puerto Rico. She said, “It’s a little hard to get in touch with them right now. I know they are managing with the supplies they have, but I don’t think they have electricity yet. That’s definitely something that needs to be worked on.”
The Division of Student Affairs spoke on the matter of students individually affected by the storm. “The Division of Student Affairs has supported students that have been personally affected by the recent natural disasters and will continue to do so.”
John Messina, a sophomore and psychology major, said, “My take on it is that Puerto Rico is practically another state. We have a large Puerto Rican population in the United States, and Puerto Rico was hit hard.”
The Division of Student Affairs also said, “There is a lot of work to be done in the aftermath of natural disasters as Long Island experienced five years ago with Hurricane Sandy. We hope that we’ll take advantage of all opportunities to help improve the lives of others for as long as Puerto Rico needs assistance.”
