FirstBank employees deliver supplies to Cataño, Comerío homes
A total of 40 bags were delivered in Comerío and 110 in Cataño. Residents of both communities also received hot meals.
Motivated by a commitment to help communities most affected by Hurricane María, a group of FirstBank employee volunteers organized a collection of more than 1,500 non-perishable items which they distributed to homes in Comerío and Cataño.
Bank employees worked with the Casa Juana Colón Foundation to reach the Paloma and Cielito sectors in Comerio, and CARAS of the Americas Foundation in the Juana Matos community in Cataño.
“Our commitment to the communities we serve is strengthened by the volunteer work of our employees,” said Catherine Ríos, community reinvestment officer at FirstBank.
“Volunteers, on their own initiative, undertook the task of identifying nonprofit organizations in towns with the greatest need, to reach communities in Comerío and Cataño through them,” she said.
“We’re very proud of their generosity, as they recognized the social reality these communities are going through after Hurricane María,” she said, crediting Janice Sullivan of the Casa Juana Colón Foundation and Michael Fernández from CARAS for their help in reaching “families that truly needed immediate help.”
The work of 25 volunteer participants, under the “Soy FirstBank” Volunteer Program, also included classifying, preparing and distributing bags of supplies that included food, water, cleaning and personal hygiene products. A total of 40 bags were delivered in Comerío and 110 in Cataño. Residents of both communities also received hot meals.
“The activity of distributing supplies in Cataño and Comerío was a learning experience, as well as personal and spiritual growth. We feel blessed to be able to help and deliver some encouragement and hope, where it is really needed,” said FirstBank employees Ivette Marcano and Amneris Reyes.
