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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 28, 2017 17:16:18 GMT
My family has been considering going to the Carribean or Puerto Rico since before the hurricanes. Now with all the damage done there I am wondering about it. We would be going in the end of May.
We were going for vacation, but I have for some time been thinking of doing some sort of service trip so I was wondering about combining the two things when going - helping them physically and then helping them monetarily as well through vacationing there.
So if you have experience in any area that would matter I have some questions. I know that there will be a lack of housing for the residents. If we come in May would it be a help or a burden as far as housing is concerned? Obviously we won't be able to get into a place if none is available, but I just want to consider it all.
With that kind of timing what are we looking at a far as being able to help with there? Helping to build houses, clear paths, cleaning, planting?
I understand that clean up goes long after what is in the media after disasters. Are there supplies that we should collect and bring with us (that are not too big to fly with)? First aid kits, clothing?
I know this part may seem cold, but I need to consider all things as I look at making flight reservations. What are we looking at as to doing vacation things? If we want to scuba or snorkel will those things be affected that far out? Will there be nice beaches? Specific areas of tourism we should consider so that we can best help them?
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amom23
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Post by amom23 on Sept 28, 2017 18:24:30 GMT
I don't think there is a person alive who can give you the answers to your questions.
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zella
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Post by zella on Sept 28, 2017 18:26:54 GMT
Your intent is good, but you can't just go and help; there are too many ways you could end up with problems yourself or causing problems for others. Volunteers need to be trained in disaster relief. If you are sincere, find a group that is accepting volunteers and sign up. But don't try doing things on your own. Here's a link that talks briefly about this issue: VolunteerismAs far as the vacation goes, I think it's too soon to know what the recovery of the affected islands will look like. If you want to go to one of the badly hit islands, I think you're going to have to wait a few months and see. |
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Post by scrapsuzy on Sept 28, 2017 19:03:35 GMT
This wins as one of the few posts on this crazy board that I have actually read and thought "What the hell?"
I don't even know what else to say.
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tracylynn
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Post by tracylynn on Sept 28, 2017 19:04:14 GMT
If you want to go on vacation, the Western Caribbean islands shouldn't be an issue. I know Grand Cayman would still be a good choice, and I'm sure there are many more.
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 28, 2017 19:06:26 GMT
I know there are people who have had experiences in these kind of situations and could give possible tips, even though not with these disasters specifically.
I know that donating money, at least in the earliest stages is the best. I have been sharing about that with friends and on facebook and not to just rush in with supplies/labor that may actually be a burden rather than help. With the timing being 8 months out I also know that needs will change from what is needed today and I haven't been sure if the best help is always money or if at some point that changes.
I'm just trying to get things planned for vacation this year and didn't want to turn my back on these places that I have been considering when maybe now they need us more than ever. Perhaps the best thing to do (after donating money to relief) is to wait for another year to help them through tourism?
I appreciate the link given and the links that spin of from that.
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Post by mom on Sept 28, 2017 19:09:47 GMT
If you'd like to help I suggest you donate directly to them. You can find a list of some (not all) organizations at this link. If you are wanting a vacation, I suggest you find somewhere else to go that hasn't been completely devastated by the hurricanes. People there will be trying to put their life back together for a long while - and tourists who want to scuba probably won't make their list for priorities. SaveSave |
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Post by *KAS* on Sept 28, 2017 20:51:59 GMT
I have experience in the area of disaster relief, but I have absolutely no idea what the needs will be in Puerto Rico 8 months from now.
Right now they need money, power, water, food and fuel.
Beyond that, there's just not enough info.
What I would recommend, as it gets closer, is to look for a relief organization that is onsite that you could volunteer through. Such as the Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, United Methodist Committee on Relief, etc. But right now they haven't even been able to make contact with people who live there, let alone start setting up rebuilding.
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Post by papersilly on Sept 28, 2017 21:00:20 GMT
OP, if you want to volunteer, go as part of an experienced organization. don't just pick up a hammer in between sun bathing and snorkeling. you don't know what their needs are and they don't need tourists hurting themselves while they are already busy trying to piece together their lives. i think your money would be super helpful if you can't go as part of a volunteer group.
as far as vacationing there, you might want to reconsider going somewhere else for the time being. they will already be trying put their homes and lives back together even into next year. i doubt most tourist destinations and infra structure will be fully operational so it may not be the full experience you would want from such a vacation.
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oaksong
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Post by oaksong on Sept 28, 2017 21:05:14 GMT
I saw a travel advisory (maybe it was here somewhere?) that said the US Virgin Islands would be out of commission through 2018. Other islands (besides Puerto Rico) are phasing tourism back in as they can, but even then the beaches may be unusable for some time.
Any service work should probably be through an organization such as a church that has ties to local churches that can coordinate the volunteers. Maybe you could look into something like that if you want to do service work. However, I can't imagine any organizations will be able to host visitors for quite some time. Right now they are just trying to survive.
This must be so devastating to witness first hand. The aid organizations have first claim on the hotels, and I'm sure they will be booked for a while just with that.
If I were planning to go next year to any of the areas affected, I would only do so on a cruise. They will know best what ports are up and running for tourism as the season next year approaches.
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Post by ntsf on Sept 29, 2017 0:24:50 GMT
I looked at princess cruises. and they are going to places in the carribean that were not affected. you might spend some of your money doing that.. spread the wealth where they need it and can accommodate vacationers. too many will not go to the parts not damaged.. as they won't check it out.
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StephDRebel
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Post by StephDRebel on Sept 29, 2017 0:32:13 GMT
We're going to Secrets Cap Cana in December. They received minimal damage and are open now. VolunTourism is a long way off for the islands that were devastated by this awful storm. |
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Post by scrappychick on Sept 29, 2017 2:14:27 GMT
I have family in PR that we still haven't heard from. There's no way to know what the island will look like in a few months, but I think it will be a couple years before the tourism industry recovers. My plan is to donate money, every month if I can swing it. The things they need most have to be shipped in, and in large quantities.
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Post by sillyrabbit on Sept 29, 2017 2:24:16 GMT
Check out the forums under the Caribbean in TripAdvisor. There are many there looking for similar info.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Sept 29, 2017 2:27:33 GMT
I have a friend whose family lives in the Dominican Republic. They finally called yesterday, Wednesday. They are ok, but they have damages. Not nearly as bad as Puerto Rico, but serious.
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Julie W
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Post by Julie W on Sept 29, 2017 3:00:10 GMT
I read your post and then headed over to FB to check some updates. Interestingly, I have a friend who is very connected to the Caribbean island of Anguilla and just shared this update from the Anguilla Tourist BoardIt kind of sounds like they are developing what you might be seeking. I hear it is beautiful there - I'm not sure they are as hard hit as other islands, but they were affected. |
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Post by pondrunner on Sept 29, 2017 3:25:11 GMT
If you want to help by volunteering, the best advice I have is hook yourself up with a group doing work on the ground already. Churches, nonprofits, etc. there is work anybody can do and good organizations already have the infrastructure and connections to make it effective.
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 29, 2017 23:50:36 GMT
If you'd like to help I suggest you donate directly to them. You can find a list of some (not all) organizations at this link. If you are wanting a vacation, I suggest you find somewhere else to go that hasn't been completely devastated by the hurricanes. People there will be trying to put their life back together for a long while - and tourists who want to scuba probably won't make their list for priorities. SaveSaveDonations and vacations are 2 separate things in my budget. I know that right NOW tourists are not the priority, but at some point tourists will be a priority and will be a need as they try to get back on their feet. I'm trying to figure out how far in the future that might be. |
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 0:05:53 GMT
I think the key is this. You are wanting to stay at a resort. There are no resorts in PR that are accepting future reservations. I doubt you want to make flight reservations when you can't make a resort reservation. While I do not know this for sure, my gut says you can't even make a future flight reservation. You are going to need to wait and see how this plays out. If you are serious about wanting to physically help there, I would be in touch with aid agencies like Samaritan's Purse, Red Cross, major religious denominations and so on. I've not said anything about resorts. I specifically do not want to stay in a resort. My first choice is actually AirBnB, but I'm aware that would be a problem at this time. So I'm probably looking at local hotels if that would best help them. I wouldn't actually be making a flight reservation at this time as my reservations will come from frequent flier miles and I am still collecting them. That is why I am looking ahead. If I am planning on going to these places there are airlines that are better to choose collecting frequent flier miles than other airlines. I understand the wait and see and figured that may be the case. Just checking to see if maybe some have experience that may help me beyond the wait and see. |
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 0:10:05 GMT
I saw a travel advisory (maybe it was here somewhere?) that said the US Virgin Islands would be out of commission through 2018. Other islands (besides Puerto Rico) are phasing tourism back in as they can, but even then the beaches may be unusable for some time. Any service work should probably be through an organization such as a church that has ties to local churches that can coordinate the volunteers. Maybe you could look into something like that if you want to do service work. However, I can't imagine any organizations will be able to host visitors for quite some time. Right now they are just trying to survive. This must be so devastating to witness first hand. The aid organizations have first claim on the hotels, and I'm sure they will be booked for a while just with that. If I were planning to go next year to any of the areas affected, I would only do so on a cruise. They will know best what ports are up and running for tourism as the season next year approaches. Oh, great idea about the cruise. This would enable them to get some o the money coming in without the burdens of the lodging etc. Thanks also about the idea of looking at travel advisories. I knew there would be something that would give some kind of info, but it wasn't coming to mind what it would be. |
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 0:19:33 GMT
We're going to Secrets Cap Cana in December. They received minimal damage and are open now. VolunTourism is a long way off for the islands that were devastated by this awful storm. Thanks Steph! I'll check it out. I have family in PR that we still haven't heard from. There's no way to know what the island will look like in a few months, but I think it will be a couple years before the tourism industry recovers. My plan is to donate money, every month if I can swing it. The things they need most have to be shipped in, and in large quantities. I hope you hear from them soon! Check out the forums under the Caribbean in TripAdvisor. There are many there looking for similar info. Good idea. Thank you. I have a friend whose family lives in the Dominican Republic. They finally called yesterday, Wednesday. They are ok, but they have damages. Not nearly as bad as Puerto Rico, but serious. I hope they are able to put back together their lives soon. I read your post and then headed over to FB to check some updates. Interestingly, I have a friend who is very connected to the Caribbean island of Anguilla and just shared this update from the Anguilla Tourist BoardIt kind of sounds like they are developing what you might be seeking. I hear it is beautiful there - I'm not sure they are as hard hit as other islands, but they were affected. Thank you! I started following them after going through your link. |
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 0:34:59 GMT
I just want to be clear on all this. I'm not ignoring the pleas for help from the people affected there. I'm not thinking I can just solve all the problems. I'm not thinking of my own travel benefits over their needs. I'm not thinking I will just arrive and start to hammer things. I'm a little aware of how things go because of things I have done, with my dad in emergency communications at one time and my brother living in an area that was damaged and his helping others. And I am doing things here to help with actual needs. So I'm not thinking of riding a white horse in and saving the day. I just wanted info from people that have had more experience than I have.
I was just thinking of vacationing in these places before the hurricanes hit. I don't want to turn my back on these places as a vacation just because it won't be what it was before. So I was trying to see if planning on going there could still be a help to them.
I actually got this idea from listening to NPR. They were talking about this kind of thing for the Caribbean islands, but they really didn't give much info on it - just that people were planning on doing it. My problem probably was the timing of my post as it had been a little while after those other islands were hit and right when PR was being hit. I included PR because it had been recommended to me a number of times before everything happened. I'm sorry if that bothered some of you.
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Post by hop2 on Sept 30, 2017 1:24:11 GMT
pattyraindrops I think it’s too soon to plan something like going to help. Currently they are in survival mode and acquiring adaquate food supplies for the people who live there is difficult. However, keep your mind open and your eyes open for organized groups that will eventually be helping. It takes time, but many people from my temple went to New Orleans to help rebuild after Katrina. They went periodically for about a year working with local organizations that organized their labor so time would be utilized and not wasted. They co-ordinated with a temple down there and also did habitat builds ( which they do here ) If you belong to a religious organization then check with the wider charitable piece of that organization to see what they may be organizing. Perhaps check with habitat for humanity in a month or two, I don’t know where they go. There are several organizations from NYC that are organizing immediate and long term aid for PR there have been news stories locally so perhaps check out if those organizations need labor. Most groups like that only take 16 & up Good luck
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Sept 30, 2017 1:29:17 GMT
HEre is an ariticle from the NYTimes about what islands are open for business. www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/travel/5-caribbean-islands-vacation-hurricanes.html?mcubz=3Cayman is one. THey had little weather from either storm. Having lived in Cayman after Ivan at Cat 5 Storm I can speak to some of this. I assume by end of the this year you mean Nov. or Dec. I doubt any of the islands like Puerto Rico will be ready for visitors by that time. That said. When they are ready the thing they will want and need more than anything is tourism dollars. Tourism is the main source of income for the majority of people in the Caribbean. No tourist no money no jobs. Imagine your house is completely decimated. You have absolutely NOTHING. And your mortgage payment is still due. You are paying 3 times in rent what you would have paid before the storm, and you are also paying your mortgage. Food prices have doubled or tripled. Things that you use to take for granted like medical care, gas and electricity. Are now rationed by the government. What I saw in the aftermath of Ivan was awful. Cayman is one of the wealthiest nations in the Caribbean. The banks were able to let everyone have a 1-2 month mortgage vacation. I knew one man who did not get back in his house for 3 years. So please help how you can now. Money is the best thing, and then when they are open go spend your money. But don't expect the beaches or the seas to be the same. It has taken Cayman over 10 years for the coral to start to regrow, It took a couple of years for garbage from the hurricane to stop drifting up on the beaches at night. And now 13 years later the island is starting to look as beautiful as it did pre-Ivan. |
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quiltz
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Post by quiltz on Sept 30, 2017 1:35:58 GMT
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 1:43:48 GMT
pattyraindrops I think it’s too soon to plan something like going to help. Currently they are in survival mode and acquiring adaquate food supplies for the people who live there is difficult. However, keep your mind open and your eyes open for organized groups that will eventually be helping. It takes time, but many people from my temple went to New Orleans to help rebuild after Katrina. They went periodically for about a year working with local organizations that organized their labor so time would be utilized and not wasted. They co-ordinated with a temple down there and also did habitat builds ( which they do here ) If you belong to a religious organization then check with the wider charitable piece of that organization to see what they may be organizing. Perhaps check with habitat for humanity in a month or two, I don’t know where they go. There are several organizations from NYC that are organizing immediate and long term aid for PR there have been news stories locally so perhaps check out if those organizations need labor. Most groups like that only take 16 & up Good luck Thank you. When did your group first start going there? Several months? A year? My brother went with our church to parts of FL near him and helped about a week after it but, but he lives in FL so I know that is different because he could return home each night. Good to know about the age. My youngest is 16 so that is good. |
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oaksong
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Post by oaksong on Sept 30, 2017 1:48:16 GMT
Just to clarify what I understood from the OP, she is planning to go in May, 8 months from now. Many of the least-damaged areas will be ready and welcoming of renewed tourism. Even now, some "voluntourism" is starting be formulated, as indicated in some of the posts above. I think she is trying to be thoughtful in her approach.
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Post by pattyraindrops on Sept 30, 2017 1:54:18 GMT
Currently, there is no power in Puerto Rico and in many areas of the islands that were hit. PLEASE don't go or try to help. Unless you have a professional degree or diploma in engineering or are a power (hydro) worker or have any professional skills, PLEASE stay away. Some places don't even have a stable airport, only available to military aircraft who are trained to land in areas that are unstable. PLEASE use your brain, don't listen to any media. You will be a liability. Many places don't have power and won't for about 6 months. There are literally no cell towers, and if there are some, the coverage is limited. YES, you did post too soon. WAIT at least 9 months. They don't need excess people who don't know how to use a hammer. They don't have ANY B&B's or VRBO's or ANYTHING. USE YOUR BRAIN. I am aware that right now we would be a liability which is why we are asking about going later and why I have posted similar things on facebook, like I think I posted about above. I just wasn't sure how much later was too soon and that was part of the reason I was asking. "At least 9 months" helps answer my questions. Thanks! |
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quiltz
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Post by quiltz on Sept 30, 2017 1:55:03 GMT
Just to clarify what I understood from the OP, she is planning to go in May, 8 months from now. Many of the least-damaged areas will be ready and welcoming of renewed tourism. Even now, some "voluntourism" is starting be formulated, as indicated in some of the posts above. I think she is trying to be thoughtful in her approach. "Voluntourism" is the worst kind of tourism. You are putting your values and your way of doing things, which is completely dis-respectful of the people that you are "trying" to help. Give money for them, to have professionals and military to do the job right, the first time. |
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oaksong
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Post by oaksong on Sept 30, 2017 2:06:41 GMT
Just to clarify what I understood from the OP, she is planning to go in May, 8 months from now. Many of the least-damaged areas will be ready and welcoming of renewed tourism. Even now, some "voluntourism" is starting be formulated, as indicated in some of the posts above. I think she is trying to be thoughtful in her approach. "Voluntourism" is the worst kind of tourism. You are putting your values and your way of doing things, which is completely dis-respectful of the people that you are "trying" to help. Give money for them, to have professionals and military to do the job right, the first time. I agree that is the case right now, with many (but certainly not all) Caribbean islands in an extremely dire emergency situation. But these countries will need help for many years, long after the emergency teams have left. What is wrong with taking a few days out of your vacation to help an organization such as Habitat for Humanity (just a hypothetical example) help someone rebuild their house? It seems that some are characterizing the OP as insensitive and ill-informed. Why can't we help now with money and later with labor? |
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