When the relief brigade arrived at Yabucoa we split up into two teams because of the multiple needs that needed to be met. The first team worked with the All Hands and Hearts organization to reconstruct homes destroyed by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. The team specifically helped many families, including an elderly couple whose roof was severely damaged by the hurricanes. The elderly couple was subjected to damages they were not in a position to repair physically or financially. The family explained how many of their crops were destroyed after the hurricanes.
The second brigade team worked with Amas de Llave (Home Attendants) and conducted home visits to aid bed ridden elderly individuals, a large percentage of the population left behind after the massive migration of Puerto Ricans to the mainland US. The brigade team was able to visit several home, provide donations, and interview the survivors and their home attendants to understand how they have managed to continue without electricity and water for over SEVEN MONTHS - since hurricane Irma hit! We learned that some home attendants were homeless themselves!