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HOW DID THE BRIGADES TO PUERTO RICO POST HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA GET STARTED AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE? On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria, a category 4 storm, devastated the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques, and Culebra. Power lines were knocked out, homes were destroyed, citizens died, and residents were left without access to clean water, electricity, and medical attention. Dr. Jodie Roure, JD, PhD, of the Department of Latin American and Latina/o Studies, organized a humanitarian medical relief effort to Puerto Rico in October 2017 with doctors and nurses to provide much needed medical aid and is currently organizing ongoing efforts. A panel including the doctors and nurses who volunteered on this initial hurricane relief effort was hosted by President Karol Mason at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, in November 2017. Ongoing medical relief efforts continue to be developed by Hurricane Maria Assistance and Relief Institutional Alliance, Inc. aka Hurricane MARIA, Inc., formerly known as Doctors for Maria Relief, to Puerto Rico.
The Congress of the United States was also made aware of the crisis facing the residents of Puerto Rico through this effort and the story was featured on the John Jay website. The need for assistance in Puerto Rico continues to exist. Dr. Jodie Roure initiated the creation of a John Jay College student brigade to Puerto Rico post Hurricane Maria, as had Dr. Luis Barrios to New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit there. The Puerto Rico Student Brigade led by Dr. Roure, was sponsored by John Jay College's President Karol Mason, the CUNY Black Male Initiative, the John Jay College Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program, the John Jay College University of Houston Prelaw Pipeline Program, John Jay College Student Travel, Student Council, Student Activities Association, Inc., Community Outreach and Service Learning, as through private donations.
OUR STUDENT AND ALUMNAE BRIGADE TO PUERTO RICO From May 30 to April 8, 2018, Professor Jodie Roure, JD, PhD, coordinated and led John Jay College students and alumni in a humanitarian relief effort to Puerto Rico with Professor Jose Luis Morin, JD, and Ms. Gabriela Ramirez Vargas, MA . This is the first student and alumnae led relief brigade led by John Jay College to Puerto Rico. Dr. Roure coordinated the relief effort over the course of several months with local community -based partners in Puerto Rico in need of support and ensured the materials for our project were delivered before our arrival. Our Puerto Rico brigade had the opportunity to support doctors and nurses providing urgent direct medical care to people in need on the ground throughout the island, which is especially crucial given the flight of over an estimated 1500 doctors who have left the islands. We provided environmental restoration throughout the island and helped repair buildings and homes in vulnerable communities which were devastated by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Through this humanitarian relief effort, students were exposed to a real-life situation where the law intersects with other professions, including medicine and social work, to make a change in post -natural disaster relief efforts. This experience also showed students the importance of working with community -based organizations and governmental agencies on the ground to assist in transforming and aiding vulnerable and marginalized communities in need.
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On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, The students and faculty & staff hosted a panel entitled Hurricane Maria Relief Puerto Rico Student Humanitarian Brigade Panel. This panel discussed and shared the experiences, best practices, and insight on providing humanitarian aid in Puerto Rico as students, alumni, faculty, and staff. They also discussed recommendations on how to overcome challenges based on our efforts' recent mission to Puerto Rico, and share ways to create more high impact brigades in the future, as the need remains.