News & information

Help letter carriers in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands hurt by hurricanes (updated)

Donations

Donations may be made directly to letter carriers in the Caribbean who were affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. The four branches affected and the number of carriers in those branches are as follows:

Branch 869 (795 members):
John Kennedy Rivera
President, San Juan Branch 869
311 Eleanor Roosevelt
San Juan, PR 00918-2719

Branch 826 (431 members):
Efrain Colombani
President, Ponce Branch 826
270 Oeste Calle De La Candelaria
Mayaguez, PR 00682

Branch 6412 (27 members):
Vera Joyce-Thomas
President, Charlotte Amalie Branch 6412
P.O. Box 8755
St. Thomas, VI 00801

Branch 6413 (14 members):
Edelmira Molina
President, Christiansted Branch 6413
USPS 1 Mars Hill
Frederiksted, VI 00841

Uniforms

NALC branches in Houston and Corpus Christi have received an overwhelming amount of uniform and clothing donations sent for the letter carriers and families hurt by Hurricane Harvey—enough to support those in need. Therefore, those branches ask that any contributions planned to be sent to Texas be held pending available addresses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands so they can be directed to our brothers and sisters and their families there.

The NALC Region 10 office expresses its great appreciation for all of the compassion and generosity shown to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. On behalf of all our brothers and sisters and families there, the region offers its most sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who helped shine a light during a difficult time, and sends best wishes and prayers to all.

Caribbean update—how you can help

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has authorized a special solicitation to assist hurricane victims. This special solicitation is outside the annual Combined Federal Campaign charity drive. The Postal Employees’ Relief Fund, also known as PERF, has been designated as the charity to receive contributions from USPS employees, through Oct. 13, 2017.

PERF helps postal employees and retirees whose homes have been damaged by natural disasters or fires. Voluntary donations can be made online at postalrelief.com or by mailing a check to: Postal Employees’ Relief Fund, PO Box 7630, Woodbridge, VA 22195.

Click here to read the Postal Service’s mandatory stand-up talk dated Sept. 27.

Hurricane Maria’s recent direct hit on Puerto Rico has devastated that U.S. island territory in the Caribbean, while the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands are continuing their own long journey toward recovery following Hurricane Irma.

St. Croix and St. Thomas are the two heaviest populated U.S. Virgin Islands. After Hurricane Irma roared through the Caribbean as a Category 5 storm on Sept. 6, the northern island of St. Thomas reported extensive property damage—one postal facility was a total loss, widespread communications and electricity cuts were commonplace, and fresh water was in short supply. Although the southern island of St. Croix received less damage, flooding was an ongoing concern.

As Irma moved westward, it inflicted some damage on Puerto Rico. The island was far less fortunate, however, with Hurricane Maria. On Sept. 20, after tacking just to the south of the U.S. Virgin Islands—delivering more winds and flooding to that already battered territory—a Category 4 Maria moved on to make a direct hit on Puerto Rico, where it leveled homes all across the island and completely shut down its electrical infrastructure. Without power, effective communication between Puerto Rico and the mainland is almost impossible, and water treatment plants are inoperative, rendering drinking water scarce. It will be weeks, if not months, before systems get restored there.

Further complicating delivery of relief, the island is nearly 1,000 miles from Florida, and its powerless airports are trying hard to deal with damaged and debris-covered runways.

Despite the obstacles, we letter carriers still manage to find ways to help our own.

Puerto Rico has two branches: Ponce Branch 826 (431 active members) and San Juan Branch 869 (795 active members). In the U.S. Virgin Islands, there are Charlotte Amalie Branch 6412 (St. Thomas, 27 active members) and Christiansted Branch 6413 (St. Croix, 14 active members).

If your branch would like to send immediate financial help or supplies to your brother and sister NALC members in the Caribbean, please see the updated list at right.

Donated money will help branches buy critical supplies once they assess what’s needed. Highly sought material goods include water-filtration devices and systems, powdered food (such as milk and eggs) and crank-charge radios.

Beatriz Rosselló, first lady of Puerto Rico, is soliciting donations through the “United for Puerto Rico” initiative. Visit unidosporpuertorico.com to learn more.

For longer-term relief efforts, letter carriers can donate to the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF). Visit postalrelief.com to learn more.

Thank you for stepping up to help your brother and sister letter carriers in their desperate time of need.