A month has passed since Hurricane Maria wreaked devastation on Puerto Rico, thrusting the U.S. territory into an ongoing state of emergency.

Since then, thousands have left the crippled U.S. island of roughly 3.4 million people for the mainland. Haniel and Maegan Santiago, however, are holding out, helping family members and hoping that things will improve.

Maegan is the daughter of Russ and Priscilla Reid of Sicamous. The two are caretakers for the Mara Landing condominium complex. Familiar with the Reid91裸聊视频檚, their family in Puerto Rico and the troubles that have continued there since Maria, Mara Landing resident Peter Moxness decided to see about helping out.

91裸聊视频淚 approached the rest of our strata council and said, 91裸聊视频楢re you guys all game, can we proceed?91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� said Moxness. Soon after, , encouraging other Mara Landing property owners to lend a hand.

91裸聊视频淭hey presently have food and water, their home was not destroyed, but all their employment income has stopped, and their money is running low,91裸聊视频� states a letter to Mara Landing owners on the GoFundMe page. 91裸聊视频淧ersonal safety, basic infrastructure, and delays in restoring both are the current issue. Because Russ and Priscilla are employed by us, perhaps there is something that we can do!91裸聊视频�

As of Monday afternoon, 31 people had donated more than $3,000 to the Santiagos. Russ said this generosity has given Maegan and Haniel something Puerto Ricans aren91裸聊视频檛 currently accustomed to receiving from the U.S. 91裸聊视频� hope.

91裸聊视频淚n the midst of all that91裸聊视频檚 going on, particularly with the Puerto Rican people 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檝e always felt they91裸聊视频檙e second-class American citizens 91裸聊视频� and the non-response of mainland America has reflected that that91裸聊视频檚 the truth91裸聊视频�,91裸聊视频� said Reid. 91裸聊视频淢y children, who are fluent in both Spanish and English that live in Puerto Rico, they feel like no one cares. So when someone does something like a gofundme account, what it does is it gives them hope91裸聊视频� somebody cares, that things could get better and that they91裸聊视频檙e going to be able to manage.91裸聊视频�

Reid said Maegan, 30, moved to Puerto Rico six years ago. She and her husband, Haniel, 33, were both in the later stages of their post-secondary degrees when the island was impacted by back-to-back hurricanes. First there was Irma, which grazed the island but caused damage none the less. Then there was Maria, which resulted in 49 confirmed deaths, as well as mass devastation of homes and infrastructure, including the island91裸聊视频檚 power grid which remains inoperable.

Reid said Maegan is in her final year of a civil engineering degree, while Haniel has a year-and-a-half to go for a degree in architecture. They91裸聊视频檙e hoping the school they attend will be back in operation instead of facing the challenges of trying to continue their education on the mainland.

91裸聊视频淲hen you91裸聊视频檙e a student, especially in your fourth year, you91裸聊视频檙e in the end of it and those courses are only offered at certain times,91裸聊视频� said Reid. 91裸聊视频淔or them to try to move back to the mainland and try to re-establish is crazy.91裸聊视频�

Also, Reid said Maegan and Haniel are keeping busy helping other family members who live on the island whose lives were also turned upside down by the hurricanes.

91裸聊视频淪o this go-fundme account is basically helping them try to stay on the island as long as they can and if the school doesn91裸聊视频檛 open in the next four weeks, then they have to seriously consider what their future will hold,91裸聊视频� said Reid.

Also grateful for the gofundme effort, Reid is dismayed by the U.S. response so far to provide aid to Puerto Rico.

91裸聊视频淥ne of the sad things about the island is 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檙e American citizens. To go to the grocery store, there91裸聊视频檚 no milk, there91裸聊视频檚 no eggs, there91裸聊视频檚 no meat, there91裸聊视频檚 no fresh produce. Nothing. Because there91裸聊视频檚 not power to keep things cool91裸聊视频�,91裸聊视频� said Reid, who describes Puerto Ricans as people who don91裸聊视频檛 complain, work very hard and are resourceful with very little.

91裸聊视频淚 think if the American government decided to say, 91裸聊视频榃e91裸聊视频檙e out, you91裸聊视频檙e on your own,91裸聊视频� they would say, 91裸聊视频楪ood, sign the papers and leave.91裸聊视频� Because they91裸聊视频檙e so limited with what they can and can91裸聊视频檛 do relative to bringing products to the island. It91裸聊视频檚 hard to believe but minimum wage in Puerto Rico is $7.25 an hour,91裸聊视频� said Reid, adding 45 per cent of Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e acutely aware of the relationship Puerto Rico has had and continues to have with mainland America. So much of it depends on their president and this president (Donald Trump) is 91裸聊视频� unique at best would be a polite way of putting it.91裸聊视频�

The Mara Landing gofundme account is open to anyone, and Moxness and Reid welcome any help others might be willing and able to provide.

lachlan@saobserver.net
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