NY Launches Massive Relief, Recovery Effort For Puerto Rico

New York has launched the Empire State Relief and Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico. The effort brings together a wide range of civic, business and industry partners to provide needed services, goods and funds to help people recover and rebuild, and provides opportunities for New Yorkers to contribute to the relief efforts. The state's Charities Bureau will monitor the fund to ensure the organization follows all the rules and to keep an eye out for crooks trying to scam would-be donors.

Visit ny.gov/PuertoRico to learn more and take action.

Following his visit to Puerto Rico to deliver emergency supplies and see firsthand the widespread damage and devastation from Hurricane Maria, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made the announcement of the relief effort Sunday.

"We know about the devastation on the island. We know about the danger that's impending," he said. "We know how much destruction has been done. And how hard it is going to be to rebuild Puerto Rico. We also know that given the financial pressures that the island was under before, it makes the task even more difficult."

He said JetBlue has committed to $1 million as an in-kind contribution to transport the customers and cargo for relief efforts.

Cuomo is the honorary chair of the effort, with Jennifer Lopez, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Cesar Perales serving as co-chairs.

"For New Yorkers, this is personal because the Puerto Rican community is part of the family of New York," Cuomo said. "This is personal. And we care on a very profound level. Second, we show up. And that's what the trip to Puerto Rico was all about. When you care, you show up and Nydia, Assemblyman Crespo and I were on the first plane with two planes full of emergency supplies because that's what you do when you care - you show up."

His remarks Sunday included a dig at Washington. "To our colleagues in our federal government, I humbly suggest that at this time, instead of arguing with football players, instead of obsessing with how to take health care from the poor in this country, why don't we put the politics aside and focus on helping Americans in desperate need."

The website ny.gov will have collection points all across the state where people can drop off donations.

"There will be a list of items that the island needs, there's a difference between people want to contribute and what the island needs," Cuomo said. "Everybody wants to do something but we have to do what the island prioritizes as their list of needs so that will be on the website also."

The donation sites will be managed by the National Guard. The Javits Center which will be the central point of collection. The National Guard will organize that.

The Guard and JetBlue will transport the goods to the island.

There will also be a fund set up for financial contributions. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is going to help expedite setting up that fund and policing it to make sure crooks don't set up scam organizations to take advantage of donors.

Visit ny.gov/PuertoRico to learn more and take action.

PHOTOS: Darren McGee- Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo