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You can Help Hurricane Maria Survivors in New Haven. Please Spread the Word...

U.S. Citizens whose lives have been severely disrupted by Hurricane Maria, who have lost their homes, their jobs, and in some cases their loved ones, are arriving in New Haven every day. These fellow U.S. citizens come here because of a family or a historic connection to our city. Like most disaster victims they arrive with few resources.

JUNTA for Progressive Action is acting as the Central Resource Center for Victims of Hurricane Maria who have evacuated to New Haven. Volunteer help is needed!

HOW YOU Can Help:

Option 1: If you are bilingual (English/Spanish), feel comfortable speaking on the phone JUNTA needs your help. Basic computer skills are helpful but not required for this volunteer opportunity. If you want to volunteers click on this link to share information about your availability.*

Option 2: If you are not bilingual, you can help by sharing this information with people you know who might be able to assist. Anyone you know who is able to help is more likely to help if they are asked to do so by someone they know.

Option 3: Of course, anyone who wants to help by donating funds is welcome to make a tax deductible donation to JUNTA. To donate: online click here. If you prefer to send a check in the mail: JUNTA for Progressive Action 169 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT 06513

Option 4: Donate winter: coats, sweaters, scarfs, hats and gloves, as well as winter-appropriate shoes for children, women and men. Also needed new bedding: specifically blankets, comforters and pillows.

* Thank you to the City of New Haven for creating this volunteer matching page to help Junta and the people who want to volunteer.

JUNTA for Progressive Action is New Haven's oldest Spanish speaking social service agency. JUNTA provides numerous services to disaster victims, including registering for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and accessing resources to meet critical needs including SNAP, food, medical care, insurance, emergency transportation, clothing, furniture, energy assistance, English classes, computer classes, diapers, legal services, children’s after school program, cell phones, assistance for the elderly, and translation. 

Our screens and feeds are filled with news and images of black Americans dying or being brutalized. A brief and yet still-too-long list: Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Renisha McBride. The image of a white police officer straddling a black teenager on a lawn in McKinney, Tex., had barely faded before we were forced to grapple with the racially motivated shooting in Charleston, S.C...

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/magazine/racisms-psychological-toll.html?_r=2

FISH of Greater New Haven strengthened the safety net for local veterans this past year through a new partnership with the West Haven VA. FISH, which delivers fresh food to the homebound, now also provides food to veterans who recently moved into supportive housing.

The new service targeting formerly homeless veterans is the latest example of how community partnerships enable this small nonprofit to have a big impact.

“We helped 1,100 people last year with one full-time staff-member,” says Executive Director Jilan Crowley. “The magic of how FISH works is through all of our volunteers and partner agencies.” Continue reading . . .

Over four decades, Chapel Haven has gained an international reputation for running innovative programs that teach adults with developmental and social disabilities how to live independent lives. Now the pioneering school is building on that success with an expansion of its campus in New Haven’s Westville neighborhood. 

“It is amazing how the community embraces our adults,” says Chapel Haven Vice President Julia Isenberg. “When our adults go to the store, they get hugs across the counter. It’s a really beautiful relationship.” Continue reading.

By  JIM SCHAFFER