IRVINGTON, 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.
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.
In Irvington, pre-school owner Darnell Henry said she plans to get right to work to help her island homeland of Dominica, which was affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria. In 2015, Henry organized a relief concert at the New Irvington Manor to benefit the victims of Hurricane Erica; she plans to do something similar this year.
“We need to do something,” said Henry on Tuesday, Sept. 26. “Unfortunately, I’m in Florida right now, caring for my mother. I have my brother in St. Thomas, my family in Dominica and my mother in Florida. My mother and sister were in Florida when the hurricane hit here. So it’s a lot.”
Aside from her desire to assist her immediate family members, Henry said there are other reasons she feels an urgent need to help hurricane victims.
“From what I understand, no one is helping St. Thomas, St. Barts or St. Kitts,” said Henry. “They need help on the island of St. Thomas and they are still waiting for relief for the islands of St. Thomas and St. Barts, just like Puerto Rico. St. Thomas is a U.S. Virgin Island and they have not received any help yet. We are spread thin.”
Irvington Rotary Club President Alison Bryant also operates the Church Women United food pantry on Clinton Avenue, which gives food to needy people Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. She said September is national Hunger Action Month in the United States, but she has not organized any relief efforts for Puerto Rico or any of the other Caribbean islands that were hit hard by Hurricane Maria or the victims of the recent earthquakes in Mexico.
“The district asked everybody to help by making donations to Hurricane relief in Houston for Hurricane Harvey and the Caribbean for Hurricane Irma,” said Bryant on Tuesday, Sept. 26. “I just had an Action Against Hunger North Jersey Food Drive at the Stop & Shop on Valley Street in South Orange on Sunday, Sept. 24.”
The food drive on Sunday, Sept. 24, was sponsored by North Jersey Media, along with Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity, an interfaith anti-hunger network comprised of 16 food pantries in Essex County.
“My heart and prayers go out to the people affected by the hurricanes,” said at large Councilwoman Charnette Frederic on Tuesday, Sept. 26. She hails from Haiti, which was also affected by the recent hurricanes.
“As of this moment, we are not collecting any donations in Irvington; however, I donated and encouraged others to donate to Catholic charities throughout Seton Hall University, since they are helping those who are affected by the hurricanes.”
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.
“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.
About the Author
