Grants awarded in midstate to help displaced Puerto Ricans
Carmen Carmona has found a lifeline in the Latino Hispanic American Community Center in Harrisburg since her family of five moved from Puerto Rico in January 2018. (Photo:Tom Downing/WITF)
(Harrisburg) — A few midstate organizations have been awarded grants to help Puerto Ricans displaced by last year’s Hurricane Maria.
The hurricane hit the island over a year ago, but people are still moving into Pennsylvania and seeking services as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
The Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC) in Harrisburg has been without a case manager to assist them since May.
Executive Director Gloria Vazquez Merrick said about 100 families regularly visit the facility for help finding jobs, housing, and health care, as well as address immediate needs of food and clothing.
Merrick said the grant allows them to hire one full-time and one part-time case manager for the next year.
“The clients are very happy that we have someone that they can sit with now and that can listen to them and really be in tune with what their needs are.” Merrick said.
Merrick said LHACC’s full-time, bilingual case manager, Sabrina, can be reached at 717-232-8302.
The United Way of Lebanon County and the York YMCA New American Welcome Center were also awarded grants to help displaced Puerto Ricans.
The grants are funded by Lutheran Disaster Response and administered by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries.
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