Via the Oneonta Daily Star
Students from the State University College at Oneonta are volunteering in Puerto Rico this summer, assisting in recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the U.S. territory’s landscape and many homes.
A group of 11 students recently returned from a trip with geography faculty members, and three other students — Ivette Mendoza, Julia Beattie and Jenna Ferraro — are among a select group of SUNY students chosen to participate in the “NY Stands with Puerto Rico Recovery and Rebuilding Initiative” organized by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Eight months after the disaster, there is still an extensive need for assistance in Puerto Rico. Blue tarps serve as shelters for many residents whose homes were destroyed. The Oneonta students worked with NECHAMA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit headquartered in Minnesota, to work on roofing and painting in the San Juan area from June 30 to July 7.