This past January the Centro Hispano “Reading Cares Team” along with the Reading’s DoubleTree Cares team – called on our community to help Earthquake victims in Puerto Rico.
Prior to the travel team of volunteers that physically headed out to Puerto Rico an Emergency Care Package Drive for earthquake victims in Puerto Rico was done right here in Reading Pa. On January 27th the Centro Hispano along with the Reading School District, Palo Magazine, RUMBA 92.3FM Reading, and the DoubeTree Reading team held a Reading Cares Day, and collected items for care packages to be physically taken and handed out by the traveling team. This team even included volunteers from Bethlehem, Pa.
Many packages were handed out on the island, that included emergency needs, toiletries, shoes, chairs, blankets but most importantly my memories are of the team members I saw hugging, playing basketball with the kids, a birthday celebration for a blind man, milk that was brought to an 80-year-old who hadn’t had coffee in days. One of our members even took off his shoes to give to a child that was wearing smaller sized shoes. This trip was more than just handing out toiletries, this was about human authenticity. On our very first day at the camps, we even experienced a mild shake as we stood beneath a basketball court almost as if GOD needed us to understand the pain of the people that now called this court their temporary home. It was a humbling experience.
You see I too was part of the great Reading Cares traveling volunteer team. Therefore I truly appreciate the kindness and generosity in support of these efforts from all who made it possible. Since there are way too many to mention, I want to thank the sponsors, donators, the collectors, the ones who helped package, the police officers in Puerto Rico who guided us on the island, my family who lent us the cars and box truck used to deliver these items, the hotel in San Juan for receiving our boxes and us, the folks at the post office, and also the people that could only pray for us. You know who you are and we appreciate you. I was honored to be a small part of this great humanitarian experience to help families most needed on the island. The Reading Cares team is not done yet we will continue our efforts in many other ways to help other human beings because Reading cares.
Rosa Julia Parra
