One of the city's largest Puerto Rican communities has provided an overwhelming response to the devastation that Hurricane Maria wrought on the island nation. NY1 Brooklyn Reporter Jeanine Ramirez has the story from Sunset Park.
"Parking permitted for hurricane donations only," say some signs on 4th Avenue and 49th Street in Sunset Park. The police are helping to clear streets and coordinate donation drop offs at a site, evidence of just how deeply the crisis in Puerto Rico is being felt in the Brooklyn community.
Even the commanding officer of the 72nd Precinct says he's been affected.
"One of my cousins actually was able to drive two-and-a-half hours to San Juan and he got a message through, but we just don't know about the entire family," NYPD Deputy Inspector Emmanual Gonzalez said.
Sunset Park is one of Brooklyn's largest Puerto Rican communities, and concern about the unfolding crisis back in Puerto Rico runs deep. About a dozen community groups banded together to collect donations and ship them to the hurricane-ravaged island.
"This comes from the people, directly to the people's hands," said Dennis Flores of El Grito de Sunset Park. "So want to make sure we are involved in this entire process."
The response has been enormous; one storefront collection site quickly became overwhelmed.
Once residents began leaving donations on the sidewalk, neighboring businesses and houses of worship stepped up and offered space.
Stacks of bottled water are rising in a barber shop, and a church across the street, a mosque down the block, and a warehouse are filling up, too.
"If you look around, we have a great sense of community and we're coming together as a community," said Casper Quinones, the owner of Casper's Cut.
Residents have been donating non-perishable food, toiletries, and water.
"My group, the Village of Sunset Park, we purchased a satellite phone, which we're trying get to Puerto Rico," said Raymond Acevedo.
State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, who represents the district, is working on the logistics of getting the donations there. He hasn't been able to contact his father and brother, who live in Puerto Rico.
"I haven't been successful in getting through the lines with them," Ortiz said. "I know there have been some reports. I'm from the Playa de Salinas near Ponce, so we lost the houses; and when I say we lost the houses, I mean the river took them."
With the arrival of the shipping container, organizers say it'll be a couple of days to get all of the supplies packed inside. The container is scheduled to ship out Sunday.