Fruitland Army veteran spends weeks helping in ravaged Puerto Rico

When Chad Craft heard about the devastation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, he wanted to help.

Craft, who retired from the U.S. Army about five years ago and lives in Fruitland with his family, said he was interested in Puerto Rico for a few reasons.

His mother and father volunteered in Texas after the storms hit there. His brother-in-law’s parents still live in Puerto Rico.

“And just the opportunity to go down and help some of our fellow citizens, all those things combined got me headed down there,” Craft said.

He said he arrived Nov. 7 and returned home Nov. 29, which was about 50 to 60 days after Hurricane Maria.

A damaged utility pole hangs on a fence near a road Nov. 11 near Ceiba, Puerto Rico.Submitted

It’s difficult to get a coherent picture of the destruction and the relief efforts, Craft said, because the destruction was area-specific.

“Some people are dealing with terrible, terrible conditions,” Craft said, while others aren’t.

Still, an unreliable electrical grid remains a persistent issue, and people in some areas still have to test their drinking water twice a day to ensure it doesn’t need to be treated or boiled.

Besides those concerns, Craft said, relief efforts are being received and applied differently in different locations.

Puerto Rico is about 3,500 square miles, and Craft worked in and around the capital city, San Juan, with local churches and other volunteers.

Chad Craft, right, poses for a photo with a church member after clearing debris and cleaning at a church in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 15.Submitted

Craft spent his first few days helping deliver meals in a town called Vega Alta, where he said he saw a local government ineffectively coordinating and delivering relief.

FEMA appeared to be bringing in supplies where he was, Craft said.

Craft said the local faith-based organizations in Puerto Rico were entrusted by FEMA to pack and deliver meals.

One congregation of about 40 members distributed 800 to 1,000 meals a day, Craft said.

“It was just amazing what this smaller and very elderly congregation was able to do,” Craft said.

The churches he worked with primarily were concerned with helping community members, Craft said.

Craft said repairs to the sanctuaries and security fences were done in the evenings, after debris was cleared from people’s homes and downed trees were removed.

Tarps were stretched across homes where roofs had lifted off during the storm, Craft said.

“There’s a gap between what the federal government does and what relief organizations do,” Craft said, adding the space in the middle has plenty of opportunities to help.

Local organizations are working hard, Craft added.

He said one church built a loose alliance with 15 other churches cooking and delivering 2,500 hot meals on Thanksgiving.

“It was just a really great thing to see a small group of people developing what really was a pretty big and necessary solution,” Craft said.

Another church, a Lutheran congregation in another town, had a youth group whose members cleared debris from three houses one afternoon.

One homeowner’s belongings were nearly completely lost, Craft said.

Some family photos and important documents could be saved, he said, but most of her belongings were full of roaches, mold and rat droppings.

But while these stories represent the highs and lows, Craft said, they aren’t the whole story.

One of his biggest challenges, he said, was helping people while being aware they weren’t looking for a savior.

“They’re looking for a little bit of help and to fill in some gaps,” Craft said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

---

Accepting donations for Puerto Rico

• Iglesia Presbiteriana en Vega Alta, P.O. Box 877 in Vega Alta, PR 00692, is led by Pastor Edwin Gonzales.
• The Lutheran Retreat Center, Sinodo del Caribe, 425 Carr. 693, PMB #163, Dorado, PR 00646. Specify “Lutheran Camp” on the memo line.
• Jorge Santiago, via PayPal “send money to friends,” enter rebk2412@hotmail.com. Receipt will display as payment to S. Hernandez. Santiago works in and around Comerio delivering meals and helping residents wash clothing.
• The United Evangelical Church of Christ, P.O. Box 1094, Ceiba, PR 00735, is led by Pastor Jimmy Rivera Solero.