This project will support AHAH's long-term recovery work in Puerto Rico. Public attention and funding has turned to other issues/disasters, but thousands of people still need help after Hurricane Maria. All Hands and Hearts is committed to staying and helping our fellow citizens through the second anniversary, focusing on putting hurricane resilient roofs over the heads of suffering families, making these homes safe and secure. $20,000 buys materials/tools to repair 10 flat cement roofs.
On September 20th, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico causing colossal damage to the island, and to the quality of life of its inhabitants. The storm raged with 155 mph winds, yielding a path of destruction that damaged an estimated 783,847 homes. One year later, thousands are still living under fraying blue tarps and/or jerry-rigged roof fixes from salvaged materials.
Having been in Puerto Rico since January, our experienced team has already repaired/rebuilt 516 homes, and, in the process, developed a set of professional "Standard Operating Procedures" for the two predominant types of roof construction we are doing. Featured below, you will find a video link with more information about our resilient roofing model. At the end of our time in Puerto Rico, we will leave communities stronger than they were before, and ready to weather the next hurricane.
The roofs we repair will last for a long time, even if faced with another storm. As part of our roofing work, we are widely distributing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and running roof repair trainings in the Yabucoa community. In this way, we aim to build up the local population's own ability to "build back better" now and in the future. Our devoted teams make structural resilience, comfort, and safety a reality so families can move beyond tragedy, and toward normalcy.
