WASHINGTON ― At least 13 people are dead. Most people don't have water or power. There's no cell service. Roads have been totally washed away or blocked by debris. This is life right now in Puerto Rico, where 3.5 million Americans are struggling to recover from the devastation of last week's Hurricane Maria.
Local officials described the scene as "apocalyptic" on Sunday. And just two weeks earlier, Hurricane Irma blew through and caused as much as $1 billion in damages to the island.
A lot of mainland Americans don't realize that Puerto Ricans are Americans. FEMA has been providing lifesaving resources to the island, but people there could use any help they can get to try to rebuild their destroyed lives. While President Donald Trump may be spending his weekend trashing football players on Twitter, if you want to lend a hand to a fellow American in need, there are easy ways to kick in a few bucks.
Global Giving
This massive international crowdfunding community that connects nonprofits and donors is providing emergency supplies like food, water and medicine to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. All donations to this fund exclusively support hurricane relief and recovery efforts in the Caribbean. You can donate here.
UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, is providing immediate support to children affected by Hurricane Maria. 90 percent of every dollar spent goes directly to helping kids. You can donate to UNICEF USA here.
United for Puerto Rico
The first lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, has teamed up with corporate behemoths like Coca Cola, Walmart and Burger King to help provide aid to hurricane victims. You can donate to this campaign here.
Students With Puerto Rico
This is a group of college students from around the United States, with ties to Puerto Rico, who put together a GoFundMe campaign. Proceeds will go to United for Puerto Rico, the first lady Rosselló's initiative. You can donate here.
Unidos: A Relief Fund for Hurricane Maria Victims in Puerto Rico
The Hispanic Federation, along with New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio and U.S. Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), set up this fund. One hundred percent of proceeds will go to hurricane relief and recovery efforts. You can donate to them here.
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