Photo By Master Sgt. Chris Botzum | Hector Martinez, Waterford Regional firefighter in Michigan and 109-year-old Elsa...... read more read more
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First responders from a Detroit, Michigan area fire department see the fruits of their labor to collect then deliver, goods with members of the Air National Guard to the residents of hurricane-torn Puerto Rico in the hard-hit-southern town of Salinas, Puerto Rico on the heels of Thanksgiving Day.
Making the final trek, more than 2,000 miles, overland, air and sea, the collection of 18 tons of water, health, household personal essentials and power-production needs finalized its destination Nov. 22, 2017 in a major part because of the efforts by Waterford Regional firefighter Hector Martinez, a native of Salinas.
“I grew up here, this is where my roots are,” said Martinez. “My entire family was seriously impacted nearly loosing 100 percent of their homes, power, the ability to get gas and water.”
Arriving back in Puerto Rico weeks ago, Martinez found himself acting as a local communicator, to and from concerned families across the Detroit, Michigan area. Driving to shattered towns, finding relatives, taking pictures and messages, then driving back to San Juan, the sole source of connectivity to the outside world to be found.
“I had to do something to help the people of Puerto Rico. We gathered friends, family, fire department and all the community to donate goods, money and anything we could pack together to help the people,” Martinez said.
“We’ve been out there doing missions,” said Senior Airman Stephanie Pena-Peralta, security forces specialist and Airman and Family Readiness assistant with the 147th Attack Wing, Houston, Texas. “Yes, we want to help our Airmen, but we want to help as many people as we can.”
The morning before Thanksgiving saw more than 20 Air National Guard Airmen, hailing from no less than six states and regions, mounting up convoy style to transport the goods for the 50-mile travel from Muniz Air National Guard Base, San Juan, Puerto Rico to Salinas.
The loaded vehicles laboring with their load as they traveled through the winding and mountainous center of Puerto Rico stopping in the center of Salinas’ town square to unload the majority of the goods for the estimated 800 residents of the town.
Teaming with Martinez and other volunteers from the Detroit Metro area, the Airmen campaigned through the streets, going door-to-door hand delivering packages and water to the thankful residents.
Meeting up with 109-year-old, Elsa Maldonado during a stop, she repeated, “Dios los bendiga a todas,” [God bless you all].
“This is the best response we’ve seen so far, thanks to the National Guard. This EFAC [Emergency Family Assistance Center] program is what got us here – it’s amazing," said Pena-Peralta. “This is people helping other people. If we get-together as one, we make changes happen.”
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2017 06:39 |
| Story ID: | 256400 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 371 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Detroit donations distributed to devastated hurricane residents, by MSgt Chris Botzum, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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