Last September, Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico with the force of a 50-mile-wide tornado, destroying much of the island's electrical grid. The Sierra Club quickly mobilized to raise money and get aid to the U.S. territory. Members and supporters responded enthusiastically, breaking the online one-day fundraising record for the organization and donating over a million dollars in two weeks. 

The Puerto Rico Chapter immediately coordinated with partner organizations to distribute water filters and solar lanterns. One such organization, the Center for Conservation of the Landscape (Centro para la Conservacion del Paisaje), delivered lanterns in La Vega, a small mountain town that may not have power restored until May. "At least the solar lanterns provide free light," says Madeline Matta, a local resident who works with the center. "We put them outside in the morning, and they provide light for us through the evening." 

Overall, the Sierra Club helped fund the distribution of 500 water filters and more than 6,000 solar lights. Longer-term recovery efforts on the island could include installing solar panels on community centers and churches. Adriana Gonzalez, a Sierra Club environmental justice organizer in San Juan, says, "Our view is that we are not just putting a patch on communities, but also helping them build more resiliency."

This article appeared in the March/April 2018 edition with the headline "Building Resilence in Puerto Rico."