Understanding the public skepticism of donations to nonprofits and out of an abundance of caution, the PRBTA also created a publicly-available spreadsheets that shows an itemized list of everything it has bought each day.
It wanted people to feel comfortable knowing that every sat, 100% of their donations, are going to food, water and medicine. Everyone working with this organization is a volunteer; there is no overhead. The PRBTA team has pivoted from its day jobs of conference planning and community education to focus on this relief effort.
For instance, two weeks ago, the PRBTA rented a 26-foot truck and drove across the island to take 1,000 bags of canned food, water and toiletries to Barrio Playa in Añasco. The team met up with Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón who was going door to door, and “Team Playa” coordinator Marilyn González, who organized recovery efforts for the community.
PSBTA volunteers and trucks of supplies.
“Añasco had severe flooding, but now that the water has gone down they need to clean out their houses and replace everything from appliances to furniture,” said Crazy Legs.
Crazy Legs has been hosting numerous fundraisers and launched a Hurricane Fiona relief GoFundMe to bring attention and aid to Puerto Rico. He is a Bronx-born Puerto Rican dancer and educator, respected globally for his hip-hop and humanitarian contributions.
“I have been doing this since Maria, it’s just as devastating to see how people have lost everything, some for a second time,” he said.
The PSBTA team of volunteers
The PRBTA joined forces with Puerto Ricans and non-natives who are committed to bringing aid, relief and solidarity to alleviate primary needs of those affected by Fiona. Hopefully, the Bitcoin community’s generous spirit will extend to these latest efforts.
Positive things can come from tragic situations. In this case, the PRBTA is breaking stereotypes and building partnerships through this relief effort.
If you want to help, you can donate at www.prblockchain.org/relief-fund .
This is a guest post by Keiko Yoshino. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
