Summary

Puerto Rico Renace is a great choice for volunteers looking to work in distribution. The organization's primary focus is delivering necessary tools and supplies to families and schools. The organization is slowly growing and expanding to deliver its services across the whole island. Volunteers can expect to visit a number of municipalities and get a taste of what travel is like in Puerto Rico. Those considering volunteering with Puerto Rico Renace should arrange their accommodations beforehand, since the non-profit is relatively new and may not be able to provide incoming volunteers with certain amenities.

Type of Volunteer Work

Puerto Rico Renace's principal volunteer work is the distribution of supplies to communities throughout the island of Puerto Rico. Volunteers may be asked to transport goods designated for families and to hand them out house by house. This is coupled with speaking to the residents of each community in order to understand their needs. Volunteers also assess whether other organizations–for example, a roofing business–should be contacted to treat structural problems. At the moment, the non-profit is working with schools to provide them and their students with materials and tools that are needed for the start of the school year. These include items such as backpacks, writing tools, staplers, and chalk. Additionally, Puerto Rico Renace is partnered with Solight Design and donates its trademark solar-powered LED cubes.

Area and Scope of Operation

Puerto Rico Renace is headquartered in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The non-profit's focus area is the southeast portion of the island, where towns like Yabucoa and Patillas are located. These municipalities were the first ones hit when Hurricane Mariah arrived and suffered some of the greatest damage. As the organization has grown, it has been able to provide relief efforts to communities all over Puerto Rico, from those in the mountainous municipalities of Ciales and Comerio to others in the southwesternmost coast of Cabo Rojo.

Volunteer Support

Because it was formed only after the hurricanes of 2017, Puerto Rico Renace is not fully able to provide accommodations, meals, and other methods of support to incoming volunteers. There is, however, a Facebook group for volunteers so they can to find out about any issued itineraries or events and activities carried out by the organization.

Reputation

Puerto Rico Renace is a relatively new relief organization, so the larger non-profit review sites, such as Give.org and GuideStar, have not evaluated it as of this writing. A visit to its Facebook page shows a 5-rating though, and the reviews express an overwhelming amount of gratitude for the help.