EAST ORANGE/ORANGE, NJ — In the wake of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that have wreaked havoc in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean, as well as earthquakes in Mexico, some local nonprofit organizations are mobilizing to help out wherever they are able to do so.
In East Orange, Mark Smith and his wife, Joi, of the Joi’s Angels nonprofit organization, are ready to do whatever they have to do to help out, as is the Esperanza Azteca nonprofit, which was at the ninth annual Festival de Orange on Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, to collect donations from those in attendance, many of them immigrants from the countries hit hardest.
According to the website www.earthquaketrack.com, as of Tuesday, Sept. 26, Mexico has had 312 earthquakes with a magnitude 1.5 or greater “in the past 30 days; 49 earthquakes in the past seven days; and three earthquakes in the past 24 hours.” The largest quakes registered 8.1 in El Palmarcito in Chiapas state; 7.1 in Raboso in Puebla state; and 4.6 in Manuel Avila Camacho in Chiapas state.
In addition, Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston, Texas, in August; Hurricane Irma blasted Florida and the Caribbean islands Barbuda, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, and the Bahamas in early September; and Hurricane Maria walloped Puerto Rico, Dominica and the Virgin Islands on Sept. 19.
“The organization Esperanza Azteca … they are collecting money for the people that have been through all these tribulations, all these earthquakes in Mexico and hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Houston,” said Cristina Mateo, a former Orange Board of Education President, on Sunday, Sept. 24, at the festival. “They’re collecting money as a whole and they’re going to send it to the Red Cross, so they can support and provide some funds for the people that are going through all that.”
Gregorio Leon, the publicist for Esperanza Azteca, identified Chris Oracio as its president and acknowledged his group participated in the festival, adding that it is still collecting donations. He said the group is committed to making a positive impact in the countries that have been affected by the recent natural disasters.
“We’re doing Mexico. We’re doing Puerto Rico, too. We’re doing both. Houston is not in our plan, but we should do that, too,” said Leon, who is originally from Guerrero, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States 20 years ago. “At this organization, we love to help people. We’re doing this because it’s our responsibility to help the community. This happened in our country and it’s there, so we have to do it. That’s our main concern.”
Mark Smith of Joi’s Angels agreed.
“Giving is giving. Wherever the need is, we’re there,” said Smith on Tuesday, Sept. 26. “We did help out. Organizations usually give us a call and we usually give them donations. We have to wait until donations from the community come to us and then we distribute it to other organizations. The organizations give us a call and ask us for donations. We have a drop-off center.”
According to Smith, Joi’s Angels has already donated time, energy and resources to the Hispanics for Progress nonprofit organization at the Pan American flag raising event at East Orange City Hall on Friday, Sept. 22.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you Joi’s Angels,” said Hispanics for Progress of Essex County President Miryam Torrs on Friday, Sept. 22.
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