Eliana Green My maternal grandparents moved to Brooklyn from Puerto Rico in the 1950s, but the majority of my other family members remained. When Hurricane Maria hit, our family, as well as millions of others, desperately tried to get in touch with their loved ones in Puerto Rico. Days passed, prayers were shared, and candles were lit as we waited by our phones. As a Community Emergency Response Team member, I was already spending my weekends sorting through and packing up supplies that New Yorkers were generously donating to the homeland; however, I knew I needed to do more. As a strong, willing, and able Puerto Rican woman, I applied to CUNY Service Corps—Puerto Rico and was selected to spend two weeks rebuilding homes in Barranquitas, a small mountain municipality in the central region of Puerto Rico. Our cohort had the honor of being televised and boarding the plane with Governor Cuomo. We spent our first day in Puerto Rico attending meetings and speaking to the press. From the next day onward, we built roofs, put up walls, gutted homes, and plastered holes, but, most importantly, we spoke with the homeowners. We cried, laughed, and ate meals together. For two weeks these homeowners were our family, too. Nothing compared to the feeling we got when we successfully finished an assignment. It was truly spiritual. We left two weeks later knowing that the families we helped had strong roofs over their heads, a struggle that thousands were still facing. If allowed, I would have stayed longer, but I knew that another cohort of CUNY students was eagerly on their way to help. Volunteering with CUNY Service Corps—Puerto Rico is an experience that will stay with me forever. Those two weeks single-handedly opened my eyes to the true meaning of giving your entire heart, body, and soul to a project. The opportunity would never happen had I not decided to go back to college earlier that year. With all that said, I just want to thank Brooklyn College for all the opportunities offered to students. Experiences like this are truly life-changing.
