Press Release 12/24/17
PERTH AMBOY – Mayor Wilda Diaz was to be departing to the Island of Puerto Rico with Governor Phil Murphy and a group of delegates on Friday, December 15, 2017.
“As our state’s only Puerto Rican female mayor, it has been our city’s goal to assist and provide essential goods to the people of Puerto Rico. I am grateful to be joining Governor-Elect Phil Murphy and the group of delegates on this mission to experience and see first-hand the Island post-Hurricane Maria, to assess its current condition, and to continue advocating and addressing the dire needs of our fellow Americans,” said Wilda Diaz, Mayor of the City of Perth Amboy.
Last week, Mayor Diaz welcomed the Honorable Javier Jimenez Perez, Mayor of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico and Honorable Felix Lassalle Toro, Puerto Rico’s 16th District Representative to the City of Perth Amboy. The officials from Puerto Rico addressed the damage of Hurricane Maria, post-Hurricane recovery efforts, the needs of the families and the assistance provided by the City of Perth Amboy.
Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico almost three months ago and the island continues its recovery process, with many still lacking electricity and water. This public conference is part of the continuous efforts of Mayor Wilda Diaz to assist the victims of those affected by Hurricane Maria.
In mid-October, Mayor Wilda Diaz announced the efforts that the City of Perth Amboy and community partners had made in the previous month to provide relief to Puerto Rico at a press conference. These efforts included the deployment of local police officers to Puerto Rico, a collection drive, relocation assistance for families, and fundraising efforts.
The Perth Amboy Police Officers awaiting deployment were sent off to the island on October 21st. Perth Amboy Police Officers visited the island to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of the hurricane as part of the greater state effort to assist in the recovery of the island. In late September, Governor Chris Christie signed an executive order designating municipal and county law enforcement personnel, as well as emergency responders, as state emergency forces. The State of New Jersey planned to send one thousand responders, of which 150 to 200 would be local police officers.
Through the Celebrate Perth Amboy- San Sebastian Relief Fund, over 45 thousand dollars were raised and an arrangement to send a shipment of 8 full containers through Sea Freight Logistics was made. Of these 8 containers, 6 were shipped to San Sebastian, Puerto Rico where the Honorable Mayor, Javier Jimenez and his staff distributed the goods to over 400 families. The City of Perth Amboy shipped over 200 pallets of goods, meaning over 300 thousand pounds of essential supplies, including, first-aid kits, batteries, flash lights, hygiene products and most importantly, canned goods and water. In addition, the City of Perth Amboy has since welcomed over 100 families from Puerto Rico seeking relocation. Through the work of Perth Amboy staff and community partners, families have settled into the community seeking housing, employment, education, and healthcare.
Fundraising efforts launched by New Jersey for Puerto Rico, spearheaded by the Puerto Rican Congress of New Jersey and state-wide leaders, have fundraised tens of thousands of dollars for Puerto Rico. Any donation can continue to be made to www.nj4pr.org.
