Direct Relief followed Yesenia Ortiz and her family after their home in Arroyo was badly damaged when Hurricane Maria swept through the mountainous community. See how they were impacted and why Yesenia’s job at a local health clinic is critical to the family and her community.
Resolve in the face of devastation
In the fall of 2017, everything changed in Puerto Rico. Within the span of a month, two devastating hurricanes knocked the wind out of the vibrant island community, leaving unparalleled destruction in their path.
The damage is widespread, and it will take many more years to rebuild. AbbVie is accelerating recovery efforts and creating long-term impact through a combined $100 million donation to Direct Relief and Habitat for Humanity International.
After receiving $50 million each to jumpstart multi-year recovery and resilience plans, the organizations are focused on two building blocks of society – health care and housing:
- Direct Relief is rebuilding and strengthening Puerto Rico’s primary health care system, prioritizing community health centers, introducing the first island-wide telemedicine program and increasing access to renewable power sources like water
and solar.
- Habitat for Humanity is developing long-term housing solutions and partnering with hurricane-affected families to help repair and rebuild their homes. Habitat is helping families gain clear titles to their land and offering improved construction methods and training for the rebuilding process.
AbbVie has a longstanding commitment to the people of Puerto Rico – operating on the island for nearly 50 years and serving as one of Puerto Rico’s largest private employers with more than
1,200 employees.
Below: Puerto Rico employees volunteer at local schools in Barceloneta and San Juan during AbbVie’s annual Week of Possibilities, where employees around the globe take time away from their jobs to enrich the communities where they live and work.