October 3 – Financial donations for victims of Hurricane Maria continue to pour it at The Belle Center in Buffalo.
Today, Mayor Byron W. Brown, joined by State Assembly Members Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Sean Ryan and members of the Hispanic Council of WNY, announced that over $15,000 has been donated locally (to date) to the recently established Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Relief Fund.
Mayor Brown stated, “I thank my colleagues in government and Buffalo residents for continuing to rally together to assist those in need. As the City of Good Neighbors, we understand the importance of helping out those in need and I think when Puerto Rico sees our positive response, they’ll know for sure that Buffalo is here for them and have our full support.”
“It’s during challenging times like this that the City of Buffalo earns its reputation as The City of Good Neighbors. I am honored to be able to contribute towards the relief efforts so that survivors can have a bit of normalcy restored in the immediate future,” stated Assemblywoman Peoples-Stokes.
On Wednesday, September 20, 2017, catastrophic, category 4 Hurricane Maria made direct impact across the entire island of Puerto Rico. It left the entire island without electricity and knocked down cell towers, stopping all communications and other major damage. Mayor Brown, in partnership with Western New York Latino Leaders, continue to strategize on how to best serve the victims of Hurricane Maria. A bank account, managed through The Belle Center, was recently established at M & T Bank. Tax-deductible donation checks may be made payable to the Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Relief Fund. A Go-Fund-Me account has also been established.
Multiple donation centers continue to collect items for emergency relief from Monday, September 25 to – at least - Friday, October 6. Locations include Buffalo City Hall, County Buildings, ECC, as well as the Belle Center at 104 Maryland St. (8am-6pm) and St. Anthony’s Church at 306 Ingham Ave. Lackawanna (10am-12pm and 2-4pm), and a number of Buffalo City Schools. Once these desperately needed items have been collected, they will be transported to the Connecticut Street Armory and, as arranged by Governor Andrew Cuomo, will then be flown to Puerto Rico.
The following is a list of much-needed supplies: batteries, flashlights, candles, paper products, matches, lighters, manual can openers, canned food, dry foods, protein bars, baby formula, pet food, tarps, blankets, AM/FM portable radios, portable lanterns, diapers, baby wipes, cases of water and feminine hygiene products. All items must be unopened and in their original packaging. Please DO NOT donate clothing or perishable items, those will not be taken.