News

Congratulations to the members who have travelled to Puerto Rico as part of the HEART 9/11 (Healing Emergency Alert Response Team) effort to help residents continue rebuilding following the devastation of 2017s Hurricane Maria.

More than 40 members of NERCC locals have joined the New York-based foundation, which began after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Immediately following the storm, members were simply fixing tarps to damaged or missing roofs to maintain habitable space. Work advanced and continues with replacing roofs.

Local 336 Brother Manny Gines, a Puerto Rican native whose mother still lived on the island during the storm, has coordinated member participation, which has included progressive training of residents in carpentry.

“We came down to help them rebuild,” Gines said, “but then we started to teach them skills they could use not just for rebuilding, but for the rest of their lives. They’re not just going to rebuild homes on the island, they’re going to build a future for themselves.”

Gines also gave credit to NERCC for making a financial donation in the immediate aftermath of the Hurricane, which was vital in supplying food and medicine. He also credited Heart 911 and the Rockefeller Foundation for their fundraising efforts to help with Puerto Rico’s recovery.