Disaster Relief

Caroline Blakely, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together, made the following statement regarding the damage caused by wildfires on the West Coast.

When Ronnie Devries realized how many Houston residents were in need following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, he knew he could help. With experience as the volunteer coordinator for TXRX Labs, a local nonprofit “hackerspace,” Ronnie helped create a makeshift command center at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center – which quickly became a shelter for thousands of residents displaced by the storm. Working overnight, he helped set up a system for volunteer coordination to ensure volunteers were matched with all aspects of shelter operations.

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The people affected by Hurricane Maria are in desperate need of aid. The Category 4 storm which struck Puerto Rico on September 20 has caused massive destruction and left 3.5 million people in crisis. A vast majority of the island is still without power. Food and fuel is scarce.
At PayPal, our thoughts go out to those who have been harmed by this terrible tragedy. We want to do all that we can, to help. We’ve launched a disaster relief campaign so that the PayPal community of customers and employees can respond, as you always do, in times of crisis. The campaign features charities that are working directly and through local partners to provide relief with emergency shelters, medical supplies, food and other forms of support. PayPal is covering all costs associated with these donations, en

JetBlue, New York’s Hometown Airline® and the largest airline in Puerto Rico, in partnership with Atlas Air Worldwide, today transported more than 110 tons of much needed supplies to Puerto Rico to aid in relief and recovery efforts. JetBlue previously outlined its 100x35JetBlue commitment to launch 35 initiatives over 100 days - and beyond to support the immediate needs of crewmembers, customers, and communities in Puerto Rico. As part of this initiative, JetBlue has collected generous donations from a variety of like-minded organizations including Food Bank For New York City, American Red Cross and the Afya Foundation. Atlas Air graciously donated and operated a 747 cargo aircraft to get supplies from New York to San Juan.

The stories of devastation and desperate need coming out of Puerto Rico are heartbreaking. With a massive emergency response urgently needed and recovery efforts expected to take months (if not years), JetBlue has established a new program to help our crewmembers, customers and neighbors in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean: 100x35JetBlue.

It’s been over three weeks since Hurricane Maria made landfall, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. As the tenth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, the storm devastated Puerto Rico, completely destroying the island's power grid and leaving all 3.4 million residents without electricity. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz estimates that some areas will remain without power for four to six months. As with many natural disasters, relief efforts are concentrated on the first few weeks after the disaster, but one company has prepped a long-term relief plan to ensure the victims of Hurricane Maria are not left abandoned in the weeks – and months – to come.

In response to the tragic devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico native, rapper, producer and “Despacito” singer Daddy Yankee has pledged a personal donation of $250,000 and to raise an additional $1.5 million toward Habitat for Humanity’s plans to help Puerto Ricans repair and rebuild in the aftermath of the storm.

Last week, Food Bank For New York City sent approximately 20,000 meals and critical supplies to its sister food bank, Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico. JetBlue and its partner, Atlas, delivered the items to Puerto Rico, where they’ll be distributed to victims of Hurricane Maria.

“JetBlue crewmembers regularly volunteer at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen. When we heard about the citywide effort to support relief efforts in Puerto Rico, we immediately jumped in, along with our partner, Atlas,” said Icema Gibbs, director of corporate social responsibility, JetBlue. “JetBlue is supporting recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and we have asked our customers and crewmembers and community to do the same.”

JetBlue, known for its mission of inspiring humanity, today launched its ninth annual Swing for Good Golf Classic fundraising campaign at Bethpage State Golf Course in Bethpage, N.Y. Since 2008, JetBlue's marquee fundraising initiative has raised more than $4.8 million for its charitable partners focused on youth and education. This year’s non-profit partners include KaBOOM!, Together We Rise and The JetBlue Foundation.