Jorge Rodriguez, an international representative from Region 5, led a group of UAW volunteers who worked tirelessly in six cities on the island for two weeks:

When we arrived, it had already been two weeks since island residents had been hit with Hurricane Maria, and much of Puerto Rico still had no power or running water. As volunteers, we were warned to expect harsh conditions, but the next two weeks would exceed everyone’s expectations. It would also show to me that union members care and go above and beyond to help those in need.

As one of the first volunteer groups to arrive in Puerto Rico, we witnessed firsthand the ravages of Hurricane Maria. It’s no exaggeration to say that this storm will leave scars on the island for many years to come. The lack of power and water, debris scattered everywhere and the eerie silence from the lack of traffic were just a few omens that we encountered when we landed in San Juan. When we got to our base camp at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, we were welcomed by the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, who described the conditions on the island as well as the challenges of how we would deliver resources. It didn’t take long to figure out that the plans the teams had put together on paper were not always going to work, and that the needs were far more basic and urgent than rebuilding homes. Large sections of the country had not even seen a first responder yet.