How Central Jersey can help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

PERTH AMBOY — A donation drive will help Puerto Rico recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

"United for Puerto Rico" will be accepting donations at the Alexander F. Jankowski Community Center on Olive Street on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Donations will also be accepted at the fire department on New Brunswick

"It's very challenging for them right now. The lack of power, the lack of water, the  lack of services, the uncertainty because many family members have not been in contact," Mayor Wilda Diaz told New Jersey 101.5.

The items being collected include batteries, manual can openers, mosquito repellent, shampoo/conditioner, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, Q-Tips, baby wipes, first aid kits, bedding and towels. All donated items must be new.

Diaz said that the biggest need is for batteries because of the lack of power and gasoline.

"What we take for granted that we use everyday is what they need right now," Diaz said.

Diaz said she spoke to her mother and sister in Puerto Rico directly over the weekend, and they are doing okay. But the continued lack of communication for many families creates a lot of stress for family members in the United States.

"It's all-around disheartening for all of us to see what's happened on the island of Puerto Rico and the destruction and the devastation," she said.

Perth Amboy's population is nearly a quarter Puerto Rican, according to the 2010 census. New Jersey's Puerto Rican population is the third-highest in the United States behind Florida and New York.

AT&T created a website that will help establish communications with those in Puerto Rico. The site allows a user to register the AT&T wireless cell phone number of a customer in Puerto Rico,. An alert will be sent to the AT&T customer that family has been trying to get in touch. The family or friend in the U.S. will receive an email that the phone has service restored.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is deploying 70 employees to Puerto Rico along with equipment to help with the recovery effort. Ten Port Authority police officers will help with search-and-rescue service. Other employees will help facilitate the reopening of San Juan International Airport. and help assess damage to shipping facilities.

"Our hearts go out to our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico as they recover from Hurricane Maria’s unprecedented damage in the Commonwealth. This agency received help from numerous out-of-state emergency personnel teams in the wake of our own recovery from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and this deployment is a way for us to give back to others now in need," Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.

Click the poster to see a larger version:

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com

 More from New Jersey 101.5: