Bergen Nonprofit Seeks Donations For Puerto Rico Trip To Help Hurricane Victims Rebuild

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A newly-founded nonprofit will go to Puerto Rico next month to help Hurricane Maria victims rebuild.

Personnel from Contractors4Change will be on the island nation Nov. 10 to 17. Roof4Roof is a roofing and remodeling company based in Carlstadt.

Roof4Roof's founder Chuck Anania created Contractors4Change earlier this year. Anania donates a portion of every job Roof4Roof completes to help others as part of his vision for everyone to have a "safe, dry place to call home."

"The situation in Puerto Rico is dire," said Tess Tomasi, executive director of Contractors4Change. "The disaster recovery process is long and incredibly complex, especially in an event of this scale, but we can all do our part."

Anania has gone throughout the world to help others following several natural disasters, including the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, Thailand after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Columbia and Guatemala.

Anania has also helped hundreds of local families after Hurricane Sandy as part of Bergen County's Hurricane Sandy Long-Term Recovery Committee.

"Our team has worked on hundreds of homes impacted by disasters around the world" says Tomasi of the Contractors4Change team. "This experience has taught us how important it is to provide critical repairs as soon as possible, which helps to stabilize families so they can begin the long-term recovery process."

Tomasi and Anania are looking for $100,000 financial support for the Puerto Rico trip. Roofing, siding, windows and other materials are needed. Roof4Roof will contribute labor and other expenses toward the project.

Click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Photo: Roof4Roof volunteers unpack supplies during a trip to Colombia this summer to donate emergency home repairs./Courtesy of Anna D'Alessandro