Several men dedicated to service in Connecticut are preparing to use their skills to get clean water and other relief to Puerto Rico.
They’re calling themselves Veterans 4 Puerto Rico and their mission is to bring clean water, communication and comfort to the island.
They represent the Army, Navy Marines Air Force, Coast Guard and the Meriden Fire Department.
They said the skills of preparedness, speed and strategic thinking learned in their respective services have equipped them for the relief mission.
All five men will head to Puerto Rico Friday and travel around the island, delivering care packages and other assistance in several towns.
“They’ve all been trained and ready to go and serve. At the end of the day, we’re there to help people,” said Ray Guasp, a Chester resident and Marine Corps veteran. “These are friends, coworkers, people I’ve known for a long time and some people I’ve just met.”
Guasp is Puerto Rican and has family on the island.
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When he recognized the scope of the devastation done by the recent hurricanes, he decided to launch his own relief mission. Using his kitchen as a sort of tactical operations center, he brought together the group and began a fundraising effort to finance their efforts. In about a week’s time the group has raised approximately $20,000.
The centerpiece of the trip will be the water filtration systems that Veterans 4 Puerto Rico has purchased with the money they’ve raised. The systems can produce 250 gallons of potable water per hour — something Puerto Rico has struggled to provide residents since the storm.
Each of the men is paying his own way to Puerto Rico so that all of the money they’ve raised can go directly to relief efforts on the ground.
You can learn more about Veterans 4 Puerto Rico at www.veterans4.org.
