KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 andtens of thousands of islanders are still in the dark, without access to drinking water, waiting on aid.
Abigail Hayo decided she wanted to help. So the Kansas City woman joined three other volunteers with United Aid Foundation and went to the island.
PHOTOS: Hurricane Maria bears down on Puerto Rico
“Nothing prepares you to go and nothing prepares you to come back,” she said while scrolling through the hundreds of pictures she took.
Hayo arrived back in Kansas City Friday afternoon after spending almost a week in Puerto Rico delivering supplies to some of the island’s most rural communities. She brought solar light bulbs, devices to clean and filter water, and medical supplies among other items.
“There’s no street lights, no electricity, and no running water,” said Hayo. “They’re saying it’s going to be months in the cities and over a year in some of the rural communities.”
Hayo said some of the communities she visited had roads that had just opened up. The hospitals and clinics were out of medicine and supplies. And many of the places had yet to receive visits from FEMA.
One of the problems, she said, “they can’t get anything in” and out of the ports.
“It’s frustrating and it will continue to be. I mean it’s a very long road for them, very long.”
This week, Congress approved a $36.5 billion hurricane and wildfire aid package. Organizations like the United Aid Foundation, Heart2Heart and the Red Cross are still collecting donations.
The University of Kansas and the University of Missouri basketball teams are also scheduled to play a charity exhibition game at the Sprint Center to benefit recent hurricane victims.
