“The communities are saving themselves, and that is clear.”
Adi Martínez-Roman, Puerto Rican Community Leader
Friends,
Hurricane Ian thundered through Florida and towards South Carolina with an intensity not seen in decades. Meanwhile, almost five years to the day that Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona swept in, dropping tremendous rainfall.
Puerto Ricans have faced years of challenges. Puerto Rico, as the Washington Post, notes, “needs fast, generous and effective help from the federal government as well as from businesses and nonprofits….. Yet necessary as it is, emergency relief is not sufficient for rendering the island less vulnerable to, and better able to cope with, such disasters over the long term.” To fill this gap, Puerto Ricans, community leaders, and organizations are helping one another — and AtmaGo is here to serve these connections for mutual aid.
We would appreciate your help letting more people and organizations know about the significant resource that our free low-bandwidth app, AtmaGo, can be for communities so that neighbors can help neighbors.
Our staff in Puerto Rico reports people helping each other out of danger, sharing food, sharing information, and inviting neighbors into their homes for safe havens. Innovative solutions have sprung up from the grassroots, including community level efforts to share something that is always hard to find during a crisis—reliable and accurate information.
Atma’s Erika Marrero (pictured in the photo above) was grateful to live on the north side of the island, which Hurricane Fiona didn’t hit as hard as the south. She immediately went to work sharing “citizen updates” on AtmaGo, which continued to work during the storms. Erika was astonished at the sheer volume of water everywhere.
“Rivers became oceans,” she said. Here are two of her posts:
Citizen-reported flood disaster
Flooded gas station at an intersection
Another growing resource on AtmaGo: a list of nonprofit and community-based organizations offering water, food and relief and seeking volunteers including Maria’s Fund, Casa Obrado and many others.
While any natural disaster is shocking, we are glad to offer a tool that links people, especially in the aftermath of events like Hurricane Fiona.
Please tell friends in Puerto Rico to use AtmaGo – on Android or on the web at https://pr.atmago.com.
At Atma, we say, “Alcanza hoy a tus vecinos y familiares fácil y rápido. Reporta tus necesidades y encuentra los recursos cerca de ti.”
“Reach your neighbors and relatives easily and quickly today. Report your needs and find resources near you.”
More news coming soon
Stay tuned for an update on Atma Connect’s new website design, showcasing the many ways we can help companies meet their ESG goals (environmental, social and governance) and collaborate with communities at the center of resilient neighborhoods.
Thank you, as always, to our friends, supporters, and partners around the world. We could not do this crucial work without you.
With gratitude,
Meena Palaniappan
Atma Co-founder & CEO