A month has passed since Hurricane Maria wreaked devastation on Puerto Rico, thrusting the U.S. territory into an ongoing state of emergency.

Since then, thousands have left the crippled U.S. island of roughly 3.4 million people for the mainland. Haniel and Maegan Santiago, however, are holding out, helping family members and hoping that things will improve.

Maegan is the daughter of Russ and Priscilla Reid of Sicamous. The two are caretakers for the Mara Landing condominium complex. Familiar with the ReidB次元官网网址檚, their family in Puerto Rico and the troubles that have continued there since Maria, Mara Landing resident Peter Moxness decided to see about helping out.

B次元官网网址淚 approached the rest of our strata council and said, B次元官网网址楢re you guys all game, can we proceed?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Moxness. Soon after, , encouraging other Mara Landing property owners to lend a hand.

B次元官网网址淭hey presently have food and water, their home was not destroyed, but all their employment income has stopped, and their money is running low,B次元官网网址� states a letter to Mara Landing owners on the GoFundMe page. B次元官网网址淧ersonal safety, basic infrastructure, and delays in restoring both are the current issue. Because Russ and Priscilla are employed by us, perhaps there is something that we can do!B次元官网网址�

As of Monday afternoon, 31 people had donated more than $3,000 to the Santiagos. Russ said this generosity has given Maegan and Haniel something Puerto Ricans arenB次元官网网址檛 currently accustomed to receiving from the U.S. B次元官网网址� hope.

B次元官网网址淚n the midst of all thatB次元官网网址檚 going on, particularly with the Puerto Rican people B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檝e always felt theyB次元官网网址檙e second-class American citizens B次元官网网址� and the non-response of mainland America has reflected that thatB次元官网网址檚 the truthB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Reid. B次元官网网址淢y children, who are fluent in both Spanish and English that live in Puerto Rico, they feel like no one cares. So when someone does something like a gofundme account, what it does is it gives them hopeB次元官网网址� somebody cares, that things could get better and that theyB次元官网网址檙e going to be able to manage.B次元官网网址�

Reid said Maegan, 30, moved to Puerto Rico six years ago. She and her husband, Haniel, 33, were both in the later stages of their post-secondary degrees when the island was impacted by back-to-back hurricanes. First there was Irma, which grazed the island but caused damage none the less. Then there was Maria, which resulted in 49 confirmed deaths, as well as mass devastation of homes and infrastructure, including the islandB次元官网网址檚 power grid which remains inoperable.

Reid said Maegan is in her final year of a civil engineering degree, while Haniel has a year-and-a-half to go for a degree in architecture. TheyB次元官网网址檙e hoping the school they attend will be back in operation instead of facing the challenges of trying to continue their education on the mainland.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e a student, especially in your fourth year, youB次元官网网址檙e in the end of it and those courses are only offered at certain times,B次元官网网址� said Reid. B次元官网网址淔or them to try to move back to the mainland and try to re-establish is crazy.B次元官网网址�

Also, Reid said Maegan and Haniel are keeping busy helping other family members who live on the island whose lives were also turned upside down by the hurricanes.

B次元官网网址淪o this go-fundme account is basically helping them try to stay on the island as long as they can and if the school doesnB次元官网网址檛 open in the next four weeks, then they have to seriously consider what their future will hold,B次元官网网址� said Reid.

Also grateful for the gofundme effort, Reid is dismayed by the U.S. response so far to provide aid to Puerto Rico.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the sad things about the island is B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e American citizens. To go to the grocery store, thereB次元官网网址檚 no milk, thereB次元官网网址檚 no eggs, thereB次元官网网址檚 no meat, thereB次元官网网址檚 no fresh produce. Nothing. Because thereB次元官网网址檚 not power to keep things coolB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Reid, who describes Puerto Ricans as people who donB次元官网网址檛 complain, work very hard and are resourceful with very little.

B次元官网网址淚 think if the American government decided to say, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e out, youB次元官网网址檙e on your own,B次元官网网址� they would say, B次元官网网址楪ood, sign the papers and leave.B次元官网网址� Because theyB次元官网网址檙e so limited with what they can and canB次元官网网址檛 do relative to bringing products to the island. ItB次元官网网址檚 hard to believe but minimum wage in Puerto Rico is $7.25 an hour,B次元官网网址� said Reid, adding 45 per cent of Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e acutely aware of the relationship Puerto Rico has had and continues to have with mainland America. So much of it depends on their president and this president (Donald Trump) is B次元官网网址� unique at best would be a polite way of putting it.B次元官网网址�

The Mara Landing gofundme account is open to anyone, and Moxness and Reid welcome any help others might be willing and able to provide.

lachlan@saobserver.net
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