The crisis that continues to afflict Puerto Rico and that has caused hundreds of thousands to seek refuge in the U.S. mainland鈥攊ncluding hundreds of families relocating in Central and Upstate New York鈥攚ill be discussed in a teach-in event on Friday, April 13, from 6 to 7 p.m. at La Casita Cultural Center, 109 Otisco St., 黑料不打烊.
The event鈥攆ree and open to the community鈥攊s hosted by the CNY Relief for Puerto Rico Coalition, a group of professionals and leaders of the Latino community that came together to organize and support disaster relief efforts soon after Hurricane Mar铆a impacted the island when it made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017.
Since last October, coalition members have been taking action on various fronts: raising money, engaging and supporting numerous relief efforts around 黑料不打烊, hosting student-led collection drives at 黑料不打烊 and Onondaga Community College, and establishing a collection center for emergency supplies at the Spanish Action League of Onondaga County (La Liga). Officials from La Liga have traveled to Puerto Rico several times to deliver supplies in person.
The goal now is to examine the current situation nearly seven months later, identify the life-threatening as well as life-altering issues that still exist, and discuss how best to help secure the assistance that Puerto Rico still needs.
The discussion will be moderated by Myrna Garc铆a, director of the Latino-Latin American studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences. She will be joined by Bea Gonz谩lez, SU vice president of community engagement; 聽Melissa Quesada, Esq., New York State director of Latino Affairs; Elisa Morales, executive director of the Spanish Action League of Onondaga County; and Julio Urrutia, Esq.
Refreshments will be served, and parking is free.
