Hurricane Maria: Empower Women in Puerto Rico

As COVID-19 continues to surge across the United States, the U.S. territory Puerto Rico is not free of the increasing case trends.

As of Dec. 3, there were 52,000 confirmed cases inPuerto Rico with more than 41,600 probable cases and 1,150 deaths; the island has a population of 3.2 million people. The governor on Thursdayannounced tighter measures including lockdowns and curfewsin an effort to curb the growing caseload.

The territory has also had among thehighest rates of unemploymentand 6.9% in the end of October, and essential additional Federal unemployment benefits are set to run out before the year is over.

Women have been hit hard during COVID as it relates to unemployment, now facing childcare issues with school and daycare closures or limitations.

We continue our work to supply essential basic hygiene needs so that women and girls face one less burden while working to overcome these difficulties.

In the last year, 1 in 4 women have struggled to purchase period products, according to the Alliance for Period Products. As COVID-19 continues to take its toll, access to period products is difficult.

Jake’s Diapers has acted as a bridge during this pandemic to transport these essential products to organizations serving those most in need, in order to provide the additional support individuals and families need to thrive. Demand for our services has increased, and from March through July 2020, we distributed 345,809 period products to girls and women in need.

These products are so very important to women and girls struggling financially, a problem that may be spiraling because of the pandemic on top of the fact that Puerto Rico has not recovered from damage from Hurricane Maria 3 years after the storm.

Late July, FEMA acknowledged the lack of support Puerto Rico has in returning to normal.

“Maria damaged roughly 800,000 homes on Sept. 20, 2017, causing minor damage to some and sweeping many others from their foundations,”an article on NBCnews.com says.“A federally funded program administered by local officials carried out relativelysmall repairs to about 108,000 homes in 2018, while churches and nonprofits patched up thousands with private funds.”

While families wait for support to rebuild, your help in delivering these products to girls and women in Puerto Rico is crucial. Thank you.

There are many barriers families face, and those caring for a loved on with special needs have extra challenges.

With your help, we were able to support a special needs child in Puerto Rico who had recently received an operation.

The mom felt in desperate need.

“I was able to provide her with the cloth pads, since the diapers the daughter needs are bigger than the ones I have — but we could help her at least in some way, and she was really happy,” Lorraine said. Lorraine is a Puerto Rico resident who works with us to distribute diapers in Puerto Rico.

Some cloth kits were provided to Fundacion Lazos de Amor to serve families on a waitlist.

Thank you for all the support you’ve provided, making it possible for us to serve families like these in Puerto Rico.

For young girls, life can lead to difficulties as they mature into puberty and start their periods: all of a sudden, the need to afford menstrual hygiene supplies adds an extra burden to the situation.

There, unfortunately, is a negative stigma around menstruation, and not having adequate supplies can make a young woman feel embarrassed or anxious about leaking. It can also cause young girls to opt to skip school.

For example, Hannaoften missed school entirely, using toilet paper as a substitute for pads because she felt too guilty to ask her mom for money for pads.

Period supplies, like diapers, are an often overlooked necessity that people living in poverty struggle to afford. In Puerto Rico, nearly half of the population nationwide is living at or below the recognized poverty level – yet the programs are not in place to ensure adequate supply. Period products cannot be obtained with SNAP or WIC benefits, and many people simply do not think of the need when making in-kind donations to local organizations.

The need is ongoing, every month a woman living in poverty is faced with difficult decisions on how to spend a limited income. Meeting her basic need for period supplies can help restore her dignity and confidence as she lifts herself out of poverty.

With period supplies available, she can have the confidence to go to school, work, sports, and so on — without feeling anxious or embarrassed.

Thanks for distributing dignity in Puerto Rico!

~ Stephanie

It’s a joy to introduce you to Louisa, loving Mom to Diego and Juan. She loves her children fiercely, and is unable to work because Diego lives with autism, schizophrenia and needs 24 hour care.

When Hurricane Maria struck, Diego really struggled because his environment had changed so much. Because of the devastation to his school, which he loved ferociously, he had to change schools and so many other aspects of their lives were changed.

路易莎struggled to provide for Diego and Juan. Louisa was overjoyed when she received cloth menstrual pads, thanks to you. This simple gift provides Louisa with dignity, and hope. Affording period products was a daily struggle, and Louisa was forced to choose between diapers for Diego, medications, food and basic hygiene needs. We were also able to provide Diego with diapers.

路易莎and her family have settled into a new post-Maria normal, and are so grateful for your support.

Thanks for helping Louisa, Diego, and Juan. I encourage you to reach me at stephanie@jakesdiapers.org with any questions you may have, I’d love to hear from you.

~ Stephanie