The people of Puerto Rico spent a lot of time waiting in 2018.

After Hurricane Maria struck in fall 2017, many areas already struggling with poverty were even further devastated — and restoration efforts for electricity, running water and other recovery would be a long time coming.

For example, Jake’s Diapers was able to help a children’s shelter that, 3 months after the storm, continued to rely on a generator for operation. In Villa Esperanza, originally a community of 130 homes, only 25 remained after the hurricane. Those who lost their homes lived in makeshift shacks and 6 months after the storm were still waiting for electricity.

While distributing donations of cloth diapers to families in Villa Esperanza, we met a young couple with a baby born just after Maria. Their home was a simple shack: four walls, a blue tarp roof, and a sheet over the door. The remnants of their home, and many others, piled by the dirt road, in hopes someday it could be hauled away.

We are grateful for all of your donations throughout 2018 that helped us to make an impact for those in Puerto Rico steal dealing with this aftermath.