Response, Recovery, and Resilience
Sail Relief Team’s mission is to bring disaster relief to remote, isolated and under-served coastal communities in the Caribbean, addressing the three core needs to preserve life during and after times of emergency: Response, Recovery, and Resilience.
Response – Emergency Relief
Response focuses on the immediate needs of disaster victims including search and rescue, first-aid, sourcing clean drinking water, supplying non-perishable foods, and facilitating communications. In addition to assisting in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Sail Relief Team remains committed to providing emergency relief in the event of natural disasters.
Latest Response and Emergency Relief Project
Earthquake Response
Over the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, the southwest of Puerto Rico was rocked by a series of earthquakes. In early February, Sail Relief Team went to several of the Centros de Apoyo Mutuo in the affected areas to help install and maintain solar systems. A Centro de Apoyo Mutuo (CAM for … Continue reading Earthquake Response
More Response and Emergency Relief Projects
Recovery – Rehabilitation and Restoration
Recovery focuses on necessary cleanup following damage done by natural disasters which includes coordinating donations and volunteers to maintain a presence long after the initial emergency has passed. Sail Relief Team has had the benefit of volunteers coming from throughout the United States to provide direct assistance.
Latest Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Restoration Project
Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery of Summer 2020
At our volunteer farm in Vieques, La Finca de Hamberto, we prepare once again for a tropical storm. This weekend we are expecting Tropical Storm Laura to make landfall. We have prepped the volunteer house and pre-checked the solar systems around the island of Vieques, ready to be used in case it is needed. We … Continue reading Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery of Summer 2020
More Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Restoration Projects
Resilience – Preparedness and Education
Resilience focuses on preparation against the next disaster including hardening of power infrastructure, communication infrastructure, and education of the population in ways to work together to help rebuild communities to be stronger for the future. Donations through personal networks and matching funds from companies allowed Sail Relief Team to install 42 solar panel roof and battery kits on homes to date, in addition to public services such as a water pump station and community centers. We were also able to deliver 500 solar kits to Ill Le Vache in Haiti and by doing so, half of the islands homes can be powered with solar.
Sail Relief Team has also worked directly with local authorities, companies, and nonprofits to bring renewable energy to Vieques. Through a donation of solar panels from Solar Libre, Sail Relief Team was able to install six solar panels on top of the AAA Water Tower in Vieques. These panels now power the repeater station for emergency services on the island. Sail Relief Team also donated eight solar panels to FarmPod, who created a revolutionary, vertical aquaponic food production system that is both off grid and automated.
Additionally, Sail Relief Team is in development of a self-sufficient solar-PV microgrid in Esperanza, a town of 1,500 residents located on the south side of the island of Vieques. Esperanza serves as a major tourism hub for Vieques, Puerto Rico; supporting 5 popular hotels, 10 restaurants, and is home to Vieques’ main tourist attraction–the bioluminescent Mosquito Bay.
Such a microgrid would serve three critical functions for the community: it would support the necessary energy resilience in the event of natural disasters such as hurricanes, provide a more economical source of energy for both residents and local businesses, and provide the city of Esperanza revenue through the sale of energy to nearby hotels.
Latest Resilience, Preparedness, and Education Project
Meals Program for Vieques Residents in Need During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Vieques’ residents do not have access to a steady supply of food, particularly healthy, hot meals. Sail Relief Team has worked in cooperation with numerous nonprofits and residents of Vieques to start a volunteer-run meal program, Comida Caliente. We prepare healthy and filling meals at our volunteer house, La … Continue reading Meals Program for Vieques Residents in Need During COVID-19
More Recovery, Rehabilitation and Restoration Projects
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