Puerto Rico Mom Steps Up After Help Does Not Come Following Hurricanes, Fiona and Maria

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Fiona Marilyn Mendoza González President Biden Team Playa Añesco inc

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Oct 05, 05:54 pm

Marilyn Mendoza González stepped up big time when her community was knocked down by Hurricane Maria five years ago. With history repeating itself after Hurricane Fiona's devastation in Puerto Rico, the mom of three has decided to assume once again the role of being the town mom.

González told TODAY Parents that she is determined to care for her people. She believes they all have a purpose, and this is hers.

She operates a modest convenience store located on the hard-hit western coast of Puerto Rico. González lives above her store, which sits atop a slight hill in Barrio Playa, Añesco, with her husband, a 10-year-old son, and an 8-year-old daughter.

González realized help was not coming

That slight hill proved to be the difference when Hurricane Maria hit the American territory in 2017, as González's home and store were the only buildings not flooded. She gave away food, collected donations, and stored medicine for her fellow Puerto Ricans. She also gave them a place to charge their cell phones.

After a while, González and the others realized that no one was coming to help them. Many residents feared the same inaction after Hurricane Fiona made landfall and struck the island last month. Fiona hit Puerto Rico hard, partly because the island was still recovering from the devastation brought upon by Hurricane Maria.

Will Biden keep his promise and help Puerto Rico?

President Joe Biden, who visited Puerto Rico on October 3, pledged $60 million in federal aid to the territory and promised things would be different this time, according to the Guardian. He said while speaking at a Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner over the weekend that they owe Puerto Rico much more than they have already gotten.

González is hopeful Biden will keep his promise, but she is also keeping herself busy. Gonzàlez has been checking non-stop the streets of her community since Fiona hit to see who needs help. She has been fielding constant phone calls from families and elders who need water, food, clothes, mattresses, ice, diapers, wheelchairs, wipes, toiletries, and shoes.

Many people need help as the entire island of Puerto Rico lost power after Fiona made landfall. The hurricane brought upwards of 30 inches of rain and 85 mph winds, killing 25 people in the process. Thousands of Puerto Ricans still do not have power now.

Gonzalez said they are so tired, and sometimes she does not eat lunch. She said she was already awake at 4 a.m. and started thinking about what she needed to do during the day.

González is not alone in helping her countrymen. She founded Team Playa Añesco, Inc. after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. It is a non-governmental human rights organization run by 15 other mothers with kids of various ages, and they are all helping her during this difficult time.