Milwaukee newspaper, El Conquistador, sending help to Puerto Rico amid hurricane devastation
Yusseff Morales
MILWAUKEE -- Dozens of families in Milwaukee are trying to make contact with relatives in Puerto Rico after the island took a direct hit from Hurricane Maria. One organization is collection donations and planning a trip there this weekend to deliver relief.
Yusseff Morales is from Puerto Rico, and has family living there. He's also the marketing director of the El Conquistador, Milwaukee's largest bilingual newspaper. The paper's headquarters is doubling as a donation collection center.
"This is just some of our water, it's amazing," said Yusseff Morales, while sidestepping through a downstairs storage room. "We've got a lot of things."
Morales is organizing all the items that have been collected.
Yusseff Morales
"It's amazing. It's an awesome thing. There are so many people, people have driven from Green Bay to come and donate stuff," said Morales.
The water, canned food, batteries and baby wipes have all been donated to El Conquistador's office in the last two days. As soon as the rooms fill up, the items are sent out.
"This is just one room. This is one of our main rooms. We have another room right here full of water and we have more back rooms that we have been filling up, and we have already sent two full vans to the Salvation Army and Red Cross," said Morales.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria has wiped out most of the island's power and ability to provide fresh drinking water.
"My grandmother right now, she's one of the ones I'm worried about -- she's in Puerto Rico right now. She doesn't have a generator, she's in the area where she's supposed to have light but she doesn't have light or water," said Morales.
Morales' is going to check on his grandmother, but has also been asked to check on relatives of other Puerto Rican families in Milwaukee.
"Helping those people that are calling the office and asking where their families are at, things like that," Morales said.
Puerto Rico
Morales has a running tally of 45 addresses and plans to visit as many as he can for the ten days he's there.
"We're going to make certain stops at some of these addresses that we have and check on some of these families," said Morales.
Morales says his flight to Puerto Rico has been pushed back a couple of times but as of Tuesday, will fly out on Saturday. Once he's there, Morales also plans to volunteer in temporary shelters.