Browse Items (381 total)

  • Collection: Cultural Exchange - Puerto Rico Sustainable Disaster Relief

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/753343695-c0b602276a5b82281001c9d90f59d58d92eda8ebed1f570d6ab7807bedbcadf7-d_1920x1080
Trailer for the Raíces Cultural Center documentary Relief, Renewal, Resilience: Reflections on Hurricane María and her Aftermath. The documentary was premiered in the Spring of the 2019 at the Forum Theater in Metuchen, New Jersey.

Since…

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Signs of the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane María remained in plain sight island wide almost 4 months after the storm. This is damage caused to a roof and building in Puerto de Tierra.

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Sign inside the gardens at Plaza Vivero that says “Plaza Vivero community project - people live here”

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Sefra Alexander, The Seed Huntress, sorting seed packets donated by Hudson Valley Seed Library at the PR Resilience Fund’s week long Seed Brigade.

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Seed brigade volunteers sorting seed for distribution by the PR Resilience Fund. Bulk donations had to be separated into individual seed packets for distribution. The help of dozens of volunteers every day for a week made it possible to ge the seeds…

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Art packs from Hudson Valley Seed Company donations were set aside specifically for schools. The art packs would allow those teaching agriculture to integrate the arts into their activities and lessons. This is essential because art and music classes…

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Sorting seeds sent by Hudson Valley Seed Company for Semitecas, or mini seed banks. These mini seed banks are designated for schools. Due to a lack of funding, schools in Puerto Rico no longer offer music and art so Hudson Valley Seed Library seed…

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Cultivated section of Plaza Vivero, a community garden that was established on an abandoned property that had been further damaged by Hurricane María. Materials found on the site are integrated into the garden design.

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A neighbor stops by during the garden tour of Plaza Vivero, which is being cultivated on an abandoned property using the materials found on the site.

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Sign outside of the Plaza Vivero community garden with the slogan “Aquí vive gente” or “People live here”.

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Plaza Vivero garden sign. Brigada PDT is the group that created and maintains this urban community garden.

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After a day of sorting seeds at the PR Resiliency Fund’s Seed Brigade, most of the volunteers stuck around and were eager to learn about local edible and medicinal wild plants and visit nearby community gardens.

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In a one block stroll Steve Maldonado Silvestrini was able to identify several species of edible and medicinal wild plants growing wild in the neighborhood.

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After the Seed Brigade work party ended, local resident Steve Maldonado Silvestrini gave a talk and tour about local edibles and community gardens.

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Some of the seed donations that came to the PR Resilience Fund were in bulk packages and had to be sorted, separated into smaller envelopes and labeled. Volunteers from all over the world worked for five days to get the seeds sorted and ready for…

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Volunteer and San Juan resident Rahnawn Littles sorting a set of seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Library for donation to school gardens, organic farms and agroecology projects, community gardens, and home growers throughout the island of Puerto Rico.

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Creator and leader of the PR Resilience Fund initiative Tara Rodriguez Besosa receiving donations brought to Puerto Rico from members of our home community in Central NJ by the Raíces Cultural Center crew. Included in the list of supplies requested…

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Handmade organic soaps were donated by Rivka Greenburg, a supporter of the Raíces Disaster Relief Fund. Rivka was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and is a resident of Raíces Cultural Center’s home community in Central NJ.

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The devastation left by Hurricane María was still evident almost 4 months after the storm had passed.

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A building collapsed on a car, still on the street in January 2018, almost 4 months after Hurricane María devastated the island of Puerto Rico.
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