Hispanic Federation Announces $100,000 Relief Fund to Support Hurricane Fiona Recovery in the Dominican Republic
For Immediate Release: October 5, 2022
Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
Funding will directly support local NGOs providing clean water, food to most vulnerable communities on the island
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Hispanic Federation (HF) announced an immediate $100,000 emergency assistance fund to support NGOs in the Dominican Republic that are providing life-saving assistance to Dominicans most affected by Hurricane Fiona. In the weeks since the hurricane hit the Dominican Republic, hundreds of thousands of people have faced shortages of safe water, food, electricity, and medical care.
“Hurricane Fiona has stranded Dominican families without access to basic necessities like food, clean water, and shelter. In this time of great need, we’re grateful to be able to stand with our people in the Dominican Republic and help them rebuild and recover from this disaster,” said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of Hispanic Federation. “Every dollar of the Hispanic Federation’s Emergency Assistance fund will support organizations embedded within communities in need.”
“Hurricane Fiona devastated the region and has caused significant damage throughout the Dominican Republic, and it will take each of us working together to ensure these communities are not left behind and families have the necessary resources to rebuild and recover,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “I commend the Hispanic Federation on today’s announcement to provide direct assistance to families in need and encourage others to follow this example to help safeguard the livelihood of millions of Hurricane Fiona survivors throughout the impacted region.”
The new fund will support Fundación Sur Futuro, DREAM Project, Jompéame, Comunidad de Padres Dominicos.
Fundación Sur Futuro is establishing a drop-off center in Santo Domingo to provide food, clothing and personal hygiene items to affected families in the province of La Altagracia. The additional funding from HF will help the organization purchase necessities such as medicine, hygienic items, mattresses, mosquito nets, and more to distribute in additional areas of the Dominican Republic most in need.
DREAM Project is providing affected households in the province of Samaná with the items necessary for daily living, including mattresses, towels, utensils, school supplies and clothing, solar lamps, and more. The HF funding will help the organization develop a long-term plan to address food insecurity in Samaná due to the agricultural products that were destroyed by the hurricane.
Jompéame is distributing food and mattresses, rebuilding schools and homes destroyed by Hurricane Fiona in the Samaná region, and installing durable zinc roofs to protect local communities from future storms.
Comunidad de Padres Dominicos is based in the rural community of El Seibo, which had 70% of its farmland destroyed by Hurricane Fiona. The funding from HF will help the organization provide food to rural families and rebuild the roofs of approximately 50 houses that were damaged by Fiona.
The announcement of the emergency relief fund to support the Dominican Republic’s recovery comes just days after Hispanic Federation hosted President Joe Biden and First Lady of The United States Jill Biden, EdD in Puerto Rico to survey the hurricane damage, distribute food to over 500 families, and meet with five community-based nonprofit organizations to hear the most urgent needs and barriers to accessing federal assistance on the island.
Hispanic Federation is also urging philanthropic partners and others to donate and match this funding to provide urgent assistance to those in need. Those interested in donating to support this work can find more information at this link: https://www.hispanicfederation.org/fionahelp.
