The Korean Foundation of Puerto Rico continues to support families and individuals affected by Tropical Storm Fiona. We are building and fixing roofs, offering basic necessities and other support necessary.
The Korean Foundation of Puerto Rico joined the island-wide efforts to help with the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona in September 2022. We naturally had to get involved with the devastation caused by Fiona. We recently traveled south of the island to visit some families directly affected. While we all have seen images, seeing it in person takes another dimension. Houses have been flooded; some have no roofs; people have lost their belongings; and there was still no electricity a week after Fiona hit the island.
The Ukraine war presented us with yet another incredibly tragic situation which we could not be indifferent even though it is far from Puerto Rico. We had the opportunity to learn about an amazing project to extract vulnerable Ukrainians from war zones to bring them to safety in Poland.
Ian is a wonderful 16-year-old Puerto Rican boy who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Despite his significant life challenges, Ian is an athlete and has embraced Prone paddleboarding and surfing. Challenging himself at competitive levels has helped him grow physically and mentally. His dream is to represent Puerto Rico at the upcoming Paralympic games in surfing.
KFPR has organized the delivery of over 200 bags containing essential necessities (rice, canned food, sweets, toilet paper, masks, and hand sanitizer) to Puerto Ricans who have fallen on very hard times due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
As a continuation of our support to a few families with disabled children affected by the earthquakes, a number of volunteers traveled on June 20 to visit Cassandra in her new home. Cassandra in her new home. Cassandra is wonderful 20 year lady who was born with hydrocephalus and is wheelchair bound.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, homeless people have been particularly affected because they lost access to their usual places for services. In May, KFPR teamed up with Mar Azul, a church organization, to prepare more than 200 meal boxes which we then distributed to homeless people on the streets of San Juan.
KFPR volunteers spent Mother’s Day to preparing 500 meals which were donated and distributed to 500 vulnerable elderly in 4 communities: Payita in Santurce, Buena Vista in Hato Rey, and Buen Consejo and Hill Brothers Sur in Rio Pedras.
We invited a leading college counselor from New York to come to the island to give a free workshop as well as “one-on-one” sessions with high school juniors; she saw more than 30 students and their families.
In the wake of the earthquakes early this year, KFPR stepped in to help a few families who faced particularly tragic circumstances having lost access to their home while having to take care of children with disabilities.
The Korean Foundation of Puerto Rico organized a group of volunteers to help clean up land in Rio Grande that was donated to Centro Maria de Los Angeles. The land will be the site of summer camp for children with disabilities. The Foundation also raised $2500 for Centro Maria de Los Angeles.
On June 12, 2019, a team of dentists from the Atlanta Korean Association and Church, arrived in Puerto Rico to provide free dental exams to the local community of Puerto Ricans who don’t have insurance plans. They were part of a 30+ person team that spent a week in Lares providing free medical, dental and construction help to those in the area. The event took place at the offices of Dr. Wanda Ortiz at the Popular Center in Hato Rey.