By Jerica Donald, OCU Junior, Emergency & Disaster Management and Business Major
The blazing sun in Puerto Rico has not stopped Salvation Army Volunteers from distributing meals and water to many people in the South Eastern division of the island.
Our Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) operations team used a bottleneck version of distribution in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. Using that technique of distribution enabled us to serve 27,552 meals and 27,888 waters to people in need.
This is a critical time where teamwork is needed, and it was achieved. Relief teamwork can be difficult particularly with regard to timely communication. Luckily for our team, this day communication went well. As is often said by many in the EDS: “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Another challenge for relief distribution relies on effective teamwork when a team is sent into an unknown area, in this case into the remote mountain areas which, until now, were untouched by efforts to distribute food and water. This area is just now being addressed with distribution and is not finished. It will be an area on our future agenda because it is an area of greatest need.
