Help Rebuild Puerto Rico

Posted on March 30, 2018

Hi everyone!   

It has been a few months since I gave an update here to you all, so I thought it was a good opportunity now to let you know all the work I have been putting in with the help of the donations received here. 

As has always been my goal, I want to help my people in Puerto Rico directly, with the most urgent needs they have, no matter how big or small they are. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, when I was about to land in San Juan, I could not believe how many ‘blue tarps’ I saw on homes – primarily because most of them lost their roof during the hurricane. It made me think that although the immediate aftermath has been dealt with, there is still so much to do, especially when it comes to housing and shelter. I started to do some re-search into organizations and companies that help with repairing and building homes, to see if we could be of assistance there. I partnered with a non-profit organization called TECHO (www.techo.org) that strives to improve the lives of those in need, primarily focused on Central and Latin America. In more specific detail for Puerto Rico, the organization is helping building houses for those that lost everything during Hurricane Maria. With my mission to directly help those in dire need, I have helped the organization to bring awareness to this cause, as well as contributed financially with a part of the funds raised to help build homes for those in need.    

I am so grateful and lucky to still be receiving donations here on the website, and my mission to help those that need it most won’t change. I could not thank you, each and every one of you, enough for donating, and helping the people of Puerto Rico. I will continue to post updates and show you what we are doing with the funds raised!   

All the best,
Monica  

Posted on October 24, 2017

Dear all,

I wanted to give you all another update. Yesterday, I made the trip and visited Puerto Rico, in order to help and support the victims of hurricane Maria. Supported by the donations received from all of you via this page, I was able to deliver goods purchased and that were shipped to the island from the US mainland.     

With the help of my colleague tennis player Maria Sharapova, I was able to hand out supplies, including 1250 gas stoves, 1000 solar powered light/radio units, 3000 propane cylinders, and medicine for San Jorge’s Children’s Hospital, all which was purchased directly with your donations.  

Following a meeting with Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello upon arrival at the airport, we visited patients at San Jorge’s Children’s Hospital and donated the purchased medical supplies. Following the hospital visit, I went to the town of Loiza in one of the hardest hit areas of Puerto Rico and distributed the stoves, lamp/radio units and propane cylinders to the thousands of waiting residents there.

While as much as 90% of Puerto Rico is still without power, my fundraising efforts won't stop and I will continue via www.youcaring.com/donatewithmonica. Thank you all once again for all your generous donations. With your help, we were able to put actual, much needed supplies, in the hands of the people directly. I am forever grateful.

Monice

Posted on October 18, 2017

Hi everyone,

I wanted to update you all with some information on the fundraising efforts that I have been working on over the past couple of weeks through this amazing website. I am speechless, in awe, and so incredibly thankful for the support that I have received and all of you that have donated and offered to help. We have raised so far over $125K, and continue to raise more funds every day. As I mentioned from the start, my goal was (and remains) to make sure that every dollar received here from you is spent in a direct way for the people of Puerto Rico. We have used your donations to purchase large quantities of the items listed here, which we are shipping out, today, in a large container from Jacksonville, FL to San Juan, which will arrive Saturday morning. This container contains the following items (in large quantities) – all directly purchased with your generous donations: 

- Solar powered lamps
- Cooking stoves
- Propane cylinders (for the stoves)
- Medication that is urgently needed 

I will be going to Puerto Rico on Monday, October 23rd to personally collect the container, unpack it, and distribute these items to those that so desperately need it. This is the first trip to come and bring help, and it certainly won’t be the last one…   

Thank you again to EACH AND EVERYONE ONE OF YOU who so generously donated and will be donating moving forward, it means the world to me. 

- Monica ❤️