 Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, the day after Hurricane Maria hit in September, 2017. In mid-February following a reconnaissance trip by two staff members, IDES published a series of videos and a special report titled #PuertoRicoSeLevanta, translated "Puerto Rico will rise," to raise awareness for families in Puerto Rico who are still recovering from the devastation of last fall's Hurricane Maria. As is many times the case, most news agencies have moved onto reporting other stories despite the fact that the recovery work is far from over. It was our goal to make sure that these families' stories would not be forgotten.
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Sasha Ramos, a member of Toa Baja Christian Church in Puerto Rico, shares her story about the recovery work that she helped initiate in her own community following Hurricane Maria.
Whether cooking for more than 20 neighbors every night, or assisting with emergency food and supply distributions in other neighborhoods, Sasha was enabled to serve thanks to your generous love. The lives that she has impacted in partnership with you are a direct reflection of the power of love in the midst of crisis. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Lesvia Maldonado, a community member in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, shares her story about experiencing the hurricane from a distance as she tried to maintain contact with family members.
Upon returning to the island after the storm, she was surprised to find her own home, and her family's homes were severely damaged by flooding. Thanks to your generous love, she received food assistance and was able to replace major appliances with the help of Toa Baja Christian Church. Then, she paid that gift forward by volunteering to serve worse-hit communities around the island. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Irma Rodriguez, a community member in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, shares her story about losing many belongings due to flooding during Hurricane Maria.
Irma's home was severely damaged, including the roof. Despite the damage, she remains encouraged because of the help she has received, and her faith in Jesus. She also pays the help forward by serving families in communities that were hit worse than her own. Thanks to your generosity, Irma received supplies and a refrigerator. Her optimism is evidence of the good being done. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Angel Crespos, a community member in Agua Dilla, Puerto Rico, shares his story of losing his home during Hurricane Maria.
From the structural damage to his home to the spiritual trauma of losing everything, Angel and his family went through difficulties to say the least. Yet, he decided not to complain, even after contracting an infection from the rubble that put him in a coma, instead trying to focus on serving others around him. Thanks to your love and generosity, Angel and his family will receive help and hope in Jesus' name. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Robert Young, High School Principal at Puerto Rico Christian School, shares his story about how Hurricane Maria affected his students and their families.
Two classrooms were destroyed by the storm, and dozens of trees were blown down. For the sake of providing a source of normalcy, the school opened back up a little over a week following the storm, once electricity was somewhat restored. Thanks to your generous love, Robert, his colleagues, and his students have been able to clean up the school, and have been able to partner with Toa Baja Christian Church in blessing many students' families with much needed supplies and replacements. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Joshua and Tiffany Torres and their children, community members in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, lost many of their belongings due to severe flooding during Hurricane Maria.
Thanks to your generosity, they have received help and hope in Jesus' name. Shortly after the storm, the Torres family was reached out to by Toa Baja Christian Church and Puerto Rico Christian School who (in partnership with IDES) were able to replace much needed appliances and assist in their recovery. Because of this help, the Torres family is now intimately connected with the church and attends regularly. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. Anna Ritter, Associate Minister at Toa Baja Christian Church in Levittown, Puerto Rico shares her story from Hurricane Maria and the recovery efforts that followed. Thanks to your generous partnership, TBCC has been able to bless many families in their surrounding community, and throughout the island who were affected by the storm. The love of Jesus Christ is thriving in Puerto Rico through TBCC's staff and members. There is still much work to be done as families just like yours seal their roofs, replace their appliances and belongings, and work towards normalcy. We praise God for the opportunity to continue serving with them in the coming months as the people of Puerto Rico rise together and rebuild. If you are interested in making a donation towards Hurricane Maria recovery efforts, click the button below and be sure to select "Specific Designation" in the box near the bottom of the form, and type "Hurricane Maria" in the comment field. In mid-September 2017, Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, damaging thousands of homes and displacing numerous families. The most recent estimates from news sources report that over 40% of the island is still without power, nearly 4 months later.
Thanks to your generosity, IDES has been partnering with a local church and a local Christian school to meet the needs of families who were affected by the storm in Jesus' name. Although most news agencies have stopped reporting on Puerto Rico's story, the recovery work is still ongoing, and will continue for months to come. There are still families in need of home repairs, appliances, and even basic furnishings such as mattresses. Two of IDES' staff members recently returned from a visit with partners in Puerto Rico. There is much work to be done, and we do not want these families' stories to be forgotten. Next week, from Sunday Feb. 11th through Saturday Feb. 17th, will be #PuertoRicoSeLevanta Week. We will post one new video featuring stories from families affected by Hurricane Maria every single day. Stay tuned here and on our social media profiles to catch all 7 stories! Drought has oppressed the Turkana people of Northwest Kenya for the past four years. It has left the oldest and youngest most vulnerable to malnutrition and death. The written reports we received in 2017 along with pictures of cracked earth and livestock carcasses have been heart wrenching. Throughout the last few years, IDES has provided funding for emergency food distributions and clean water wells. The drought has been so severe, that immediate relief for the sake of survival was the necessary route of response. One of IDES' mission partners, Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) , has spent these years developing and mastering a model for irrigation farms that can provide a sustainable source of food and income to multiple families per plot. At the end of 2017, IDES asked for your help to provide funding to establish more of these farms as a long-term solution to the hunger crisis caused by the drought. IDES was committed to raising funds to create at least 10 irrigation farms, but thanks to your generosity we have already surpassed this goal with enough funds to create at least 14 farms! (*NOTE: At the time of Rick and Nancy's filming the message below, we had enough to create 13 farms, but now we are up to enough for 14 farms! Praise God.) Recently, two staff members from CMFI sat down with us to share about this project in more detail.
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