1,100 Families Impacted by Hurricanes Helped in Hartford

Since opening on Nov. 1, the Relief Center for our Caribbean Friends in Hartford managed by Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) has helped about 1,100 people displaced by hurricanes.

"They don't have anything left in Puerto Rico. There's just nothing. I've had families tell me there's nothing to rebuild," Aura Alvarado with CREC said.

Dozens of volunteers and multiple agencies and groups from CREC to FEMA to the Red Cross to Foodshare to local school districts work together to help meet the needs of families coming from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

On Wednesday, Hartford City Council hosted a fundraiser called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Council members, Mayor Luke Bronin, state representatives, representatives from Hartford Public Schools, CREC and others attended the event where they got a tour of the building, donated by CREC, to learn how families are helped.

"There is an emergency that is happening right here in our community, in our state, and these families need all the help they can get," Hartford City Council Minority Leader Wildaliz Bermudez said. 

Families are able to pick up outfits and winter clothes as well as food.

"Everything here is donations: clothing, food, toiletries, diapers, formula," said Alvarado. "We give people bus passes. We give people gift cards to go shopping because sometimes I don't have their size of clothing here, so they have to go buy a coat. We've been giving children toys and books to take, so financial donations are definitely something we need."

Families also get career assistance, medical screenings and ESL class information along with other resources to help get them on their feet.

Families who came to Hartford from Puerto Rico in November talked about the difference the relief center has made for them.

"It was a very difficult time in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria," an emotional Ileana Santana-Barada said as Bermudez translated.

Santana-Barada has two children and said thanks to the relief center she has a place to stay and a job.

"It was a place I found hope because given the information that I have received here in the center, I knew I could get ahead and start a new life," Santana-Barada said.

The center raised nearly $11,000 during the fundraiser on Wednesday and hopes to raise even more. A private donor has offered to match donations up to $25,000.

CREC says that because everything is donated, including the building and staff, that 100 percent of donations go to those families in need.

People who want to donate can make checks payable to "CREC Foundation - Relief Center" and mail it to CREC Foundation, 111 Charter Oak Ave, Hartford, CT 06106.

People can also donate online.

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