FEMA awards $505K in recovery funds to Puerto Rican nonprofits
The Support and Therapy Center of the Puerto Rico Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association and Bill’s Kitchen receive grants for infrastructure and mitigation projects.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded about $35,000 to the Support and Therapy Center of the Puerto Rico Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association, and approximately $470,000 to the nonprofit Bill’s Kitchen.
The funds for the association are aimed at replacing the roof waterproofing system, air conditioners, floor mats for therapy rooms and some office equipment.
The mitigation funds in this allocation are for anchoring the water cistern tank and improving the facility’s infrastructure against infiltration.
The organization recently received funds from FEMA to repair its infrastructure after Hurricane María and to continue offering its services for the development of its participants.
The funds awarded to Bill’s Kitchen are designated for infrastructure improvements. The planned work includes the replacement of equipment such as the mezzanine and kitchen air conditioners.
More than $78,000 of the funds are allocated to mitigation measures to ensure proper drainage and prevent infiltration to the roof and interior of the facility.
“The social and health needs of our island are different and precise. We have the great talent and dedication of communities that are ready to meet these needs and FEMA remains committed to assisting in the recovery of these organizations,” said José Baquero, FEMA’s disaster recovery coordinator for Puerto Rico.
The Support and Therapy Center also focuses on promoting the functioning, independence and integration of people with developmental disabilities, offering social work, physical and occupational therapy, and assistance with purchasing orthopedic equipment.
It serves more than 200 people and provides educational workshops on managing and preventing neural tube defects and supports families during and after pregnancies.
“Our island’s social and health needs are unique,” said José Baquero, FEMA’s disaster recovery coordinator for Puerto Rico. “We have the great talent and dedication of communities ready to meet these needs, and FEMA remains committed to assisting in the recovery of these organizations.”
Bill’s Kitchen Executive Director Sandra Torres-Rivera explained that the organization also helps participants maintain treatments for HIV and other chronic health conditions.
“Our nutritional services program complements the provision of food, offering food security to the medical and nutritional counseling, to give the participant the tools to combat not only hunger, but also prevailing health conditions on the island such as diabetes, hypertension and gastrointestinal problems. Through the ‘Intégrate’ program, we offer medical transportation, oral health and visual health services, which include the purchase of eyeglasses, laboratories and emergency assistance, among other services that our participants cannot access through their health insurance coverage,” Torres-Rivera said.
To date, FEMA has allocated more than $34.2 billion for more than 11,000 recovery projects in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. This includes more than $1.4 billion to support the recovery of 1,105 nonprofit projects on the island.
