On this day in 2017, Puerto Rico – home to 3.3 million – was devastated by Hurricane Maria, the worst natural catastrophe the island has seen in nearly a hundred years, leaving its infrastructure ravaged and thousands of residents without food, water, shelter, medical care, and electricity. Since then, hundreds of supporters and friends of Flamboyan – like you – donated to help rebuild the island. Our staff in Puerto Rico have worked tirelessly to ensure that relief reached every corner to support the most urgent needs. Thanks to your generosity, Flamboyan has helped thousands of Puerto Ricans repair, rebuild, and restore their island home.
As we acknowledge the second anniversary of the storm, we are looking to the future with optimism and a deepened commitment to building upon the work we began. While this means the closing of the Hurricane Relief Fund, it also means the launch of new efforts to help revitalize Puerto Rico with the goal of ensuring the island is thriving economically, educationally and culturally. Our evolving revitalization efforts focus on the intersections between K-3 literacy, our emerging work through the Flamboyan Arts Fund, and collaborative efforts to build a strong philanthropic sector on the island. The work before us is big and bold and can only be done in partnership with people and organizations rooted on the island and champions supporting from across the globe.