In the early weeks of this year, BCC’s Association of Latino Faculty and Staff (ALFS) launched a campus-wide relief effort for the people of Puerto Rico as they recovered from the ravages of earthquakes the year before. The response from the BCC campus was dramatic and inspiring.

In all, 26 boxes with some 5,000 essential items were collected. These contributions included everything from canned goods, first-aid kits, disposable diapers, wipes, clothes, paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, hand cream, hand sanitizer, alcohol, matches, flashlights, school supplies, book bags, blankets, batteries, water — even dog and cat food.

ALFS Chairperson Leidy Pichardo reports that the boxes were delivered to Guayama, Puerto Rico on Monday, June 1, 2020. Pastor Ismael Frances of the Mission Christian Rehoboth Council received the shipment and worked diligently dividing goods among people and areas in need due to the earthquakes and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donated items were distributed as follows:

•    Six boxes for the town of Ponce
•    Two boxes for the town of Yauco
•    Four boxes for Barrio Olimpo, Guayama and Peñuelas
•    Fourteen boxes divided into 120 bags of items to disseminate in the cities of Guayama, Patillas, Arroyo, Salinas, Aguirre and areas of poverty such as San Felipe, El Coqui, Mosquito and Las Mareas

“I want to commend everyone who participated,” President Isekenegbe said when all the contributions were piled high in Language Hall. “It shows what we can all do together as a community. It says we care.”