Adrianna Lebron-Garcia and Anamar Naish, the two women now leading an 800-strong relief effort for Puerto Rican hurricane victims, were strangers before Sept. 21.
But both have family on the hurricane-damaged island. Both were stunned by the sheer scale of destruction they saw on the news. Both knew they needed to help however they could.
Naish created a Facebook event to collect donations, and Lebron-Garcia created a group. When each became aware of the other’s presence, a partnership seemed natural.
“We just talked every day, every hour of the day, talking about what we needed to make (relief) work,” Lebron-Garcia, a marketing researcher with P&G, said.
Cincinnati for PR had collected $3,175 by Thursday night and set up 20 drop-off locations for nonperishable goods around the Greater Cincinnati area.
“It’s our little contribution,” Lebron-Garcia said. “Whatever we can do from here.”
Interested in helping? Here are two upcoming donation drives:
- Today, Sept. 30: Donations will be collected from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Susanna Catholic Church, 500 Reading Road in Mason
- Oct. 7: Donations will be collected from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Missio Dei Church at the Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Place in Cincinnati
Items being collected at both events include:
- Nonperishable food
- Bottled water
- Baby Formula
- Baby Wipes
- Diapers
- Canned and dry pet food
- Personal hygiene items
- Hand sanitizer
- Mosquito repellant
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- Blankets
- Clothes
- Laundry detergent
- Feminine hygeine products
- Trash bags
- Animal crates
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