>> THIS STORY IS HURRICANE MARIA EVACUEES LIKE WE JUST MET HAVE
BECOME FAMILIAR WITH A REPORTER WITH MASS LIVE.
SHE'S REPORTED ABOUT THE NEED FOR FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL
ASSISTANCE FOR PUERTO RICAN RESIDENTS IN THIS REGION.
SHE MET MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE THROUGH BETTY MEDINA
LICHTENSTEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ENLACE DE FAMILIAS IN
HOLYOKE.
ENLACE IS AN AID ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN A CENTRAL PLACE FOR
THOSE RESIDENTS TO GET HELP.
>> FAMILIES STARTED TO ARRIVE IN WESTERN MASS ON OCTOBER 5TH.
MOST OF THEM WERE FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF, VERY SICKLY, ELDERS.
AND THEY ARRIVED SOME OF THEM WITH SUITCASES, SOME OF THEM
JUST WITH THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS.
AND THE UNKNOWN, RIGHT?
STRANGE LAND.
DIFFERENT CLIMATE.
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN TRYING TO FIGURE ALL THAT OUT LITTLE BY LITTLE.
>> ELIZABETH, YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF REPORTING ON THIS FOR MASS
LIVE AND THE REPUBLICAN.
AND WORKED WITH BETTY'S ORGANIZATION TO UNDERSTAND
STORIES OF SOME PEOPLE.
LILIANNE, SHE'S WORKING WITH YOU NOW, YOU MET HER.
HOW DID YOU LEARN OF HER STORY?
>> I MET HER AT THE FRONT DESK.
SHE WAS A SWEET WOMAN AND I ASSUMED SHE WORKED AT ENLACE.
I HAD NO IDEA SHE WAS A NEW EVACUEE AND LOOKING FOR
SOMETHING TO DO.
HER DAUGHTER, I THINK SHE HAS A DAUGHTER WAS IN SCHOOL AND SHE
DIDN'T WANT TO STAY HOME.
SHE WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE IN SOME WAY AND SHE FELT THAT THIS WAS
THE WAY SHE COULD DO IT.
WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE, SHE COULD GREET THEM.
SAY HELLO AND WHILE SHE WAS DEALING WITH HER OWN, YOU KNOW,
SUFFERING AND LOSING EVERYTHING BACK HOME BECAUSE HER STORY IS
QUITE DRAMATIC.
>> WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU ABOUT HOW AND WHY SHE LEFT PUERTO
RICO?
>> HER HOME WAS DESTROYED.
SHE HAD A BUSINESS AND 10 EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE, AND A HAIR
SALON AND THE BUSINESS WAS, YOU KNOW, DESTROYED AS WELL.
SO SHE HAD NO JOB.
YOU COULD TELL IT WAS JUST A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR
HER AND SHE REALLY WANTED HER DAUGHTER TO BE SAFE AND, YOU
KNOW, AND THEN TO HAVE A BETTER SITUATION.
SHE CAME HERE.
>> SHE'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE MANY FAMILIES IN THE
COMMUNITY NOW WHO CAME HERE WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND BECOME
STUDENTS IN EITHER SPRINGFIELD, HOLYOKE, WEST SPRINGFIELD, INTO
THOSE SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THIS REGION.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE
INTEGRATION OF THESE STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY IN SPRINGFIELD AND
HOLYOKE RIGHT NOW?
>> SO IN SPRINGFIELD, THE LATEST NUMBERS ARE 613.
613 STUDENTS AND THEY'VE HONESTLY DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB
WITH IT.
BETTY WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT HOLYOKE.
THEY HAVE NOT HAD TO HIRE MORE TEACHERS.
THE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
SCHOOLS BASED ON RELATIVE THEY'RE LIVING WITH.
A PROGRAM HELPS HOMELESS STUDENTS.
LOT OF THE FUNDING HAS COME THROUGH THERE.
THE GOVERNMENT AS ALLOTTED $15 MILLION FOR THE ENTIRE STATE AND
SPRINGFIELD AND HOLYOKE WILL SEE A GOOD NUMBER AND GOOD CHUNK OF
THAT TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR EACH PUPIL THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN IN.
>> I THINK THAT THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST
WITH THE SELF-EVACUEES ARE THOSE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY WITH BILINGUAL STAFF.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE STRUGGLE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
SO LIKE SPRINGFIELD AND HOLYOKE HAS --
>> ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF SPANISH SPEAKERS IN THEIR SYSTEM.
>> THEY HAVE NOT HAD TO BRING IN OR HIRE, HAVE A NEED TO HIRE
PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO BE WORKING WITH THE FAMILIES AND WITH THE
STUDENTS.
I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO WESTFIELD AND NORTHAMPTON AND
OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THERE ARE LARGE HOTEL POPULATIONS.
>> THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT HOUSING.
THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT FEMA, DEADLINES.
WHETHER OR NOT VOUCHERS WILL BE EXTENDED.
IS YOUR ORGANIZATION ABLE TO HELP THEM FIND HOUSING?
>> SO IT'S COMPLEX.
IN PUERTO RICO, YOU CAN RENT A HOME, A PRIVATE HOME FOR LESS
THAN $400 A MONTH.
YOU COME TO MASSACHUSETTS, $400 DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE.
THE HOUSING STOCK IN MASSACHUSETTS IS ALSO VERY SLIM.
WE HAVE MANY HOMELESS FAMILIES IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
THAT HAVE BEEN BORN AND RAISED HERE.
NEVER MIND WHEN WE HAVE A DISASTER POPULATION COMING IN.
SO THAT'S BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE FOR FAMILIES.
THE OTHER PIECES IS ALSO EMPLOYMENT.
SOME PEOPLE LIKE LILIANA AS WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, SHE LOST
HER BUSINESS.
SOMEONE LIKE THAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA UNEMPLOYMENT.
IT ISN'T A LOT BUT AT LEAST IT GETS THEM INTO AN APARTMENT.
>> PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING HERE WHO WERE SELF-EVACUEES ARE
DOCTORS, NURSES, THEY'RE ESTHETICIANS, PROFESSIONAL
WORKING PEOPLE COMING FROM THE UNITED STATES TERRITORY TO
ANOTHER PLACE IN THE U.S., IS THERE ANY TYPE OF -- ARE THERE
INROADS BEING MADE ON WHETHER OR NOT THESE CREDENTIALS CAN BE
CERTIFIED HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS OR ELSEWHERE?
>> THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GRANTED
A WAIVER SO THAT TEACHERS FROM PUERTO RICO, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE
STUDENTS, RIGHT?
MAKES SENSE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE STUDENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THE
TEACHERS AND SO TEACHERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN A WAIVER AND ARE
BEING ASSISTED IN GETTING THEIR LICENSES, THEIR MASSACHUSETTS
LICENSE FOR CERTIFICATION.
>> IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT DIASPARO THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
SO IT WOULD BEHOOVE US AS A COMMUNITY TO REALLY TAKE THIS AS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE VERY HIGHLY SKILLED
PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE HERE NOW.
>> ELIZABETH, I READ A STORY RECENTLY ABOUT $180,000 THAT WAS
RAISED BY A LOCAL ORGANIZATION.
AND IT'S INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS BEING PUT
BACK INTO THE PUERTO RICAN COMMUNITY DIRECTLY.
CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS STORY?
>> IT'S THE WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS UNITED FOR PUERTO
RICO COALITION THAT ESSENTIALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS, POLITICIANS, THE MAYORS OF HOLYOKE, WESTFIELD AND
SPRINGFIELD.
PEOPLE DID A BUNCH OF FUNDRAISERS OVER TIME.
THEY RAISED $180,000.
$80,000 WENT TO THE UNITED WAY WHICH WAS USED TO DOUBLE IT UP
AND THE NEW NORTH CITIZENS COUNCIL WHICH IS THE WELCOME
CENTER IN SPRINGFIELD AND ENLACE, THE WELCOME CENTER IN
HOLYOKE EACH RECEIVED, I BELIEVE, IT WAS $60,000 FROM
THAT?
>> YES.
>> SO THE OTHER $100,000 HAS GONE DIRECTLY TO PUERTO RICO TO
10 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, GOT $10,000 EACH TO WORK ON
EVERYTHING FROM BUYING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO
GETTING PEOPLE SOLAR PANELS AND WATER KITS TO GETTING
ELECTRICITY BACK IN LITTLE COMMUNITIES TO REFURBISHING A
SCHOOL AND TURNING IT INTO A LAUNDRY MAT AND COFFEE SHOP.
THEY REALLY THOUGHT REALLY LONG AND HARD ABOUT HOW THEY WANTED
THAT MONEY TO BE USED AND IT'S EXCITING BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN WESTERN MASS WANTED TO HELP AND IF THEY GAVE $5, IF
THEY GAVE $3, FREEDOM CREDIT UNION HELD IT ALL TOGETHER UNTIL
IT WAS READY TO GO AND NOW IT'S BEEN SENT OUT.
>> SO IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS NOW AND WANT TO HELP,
EITHER IN DONATING FOOD OR, YOU KNOW, MONEY OR OTHER AID OR
ASSISTANCE, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
WHERE SHOULD THEY TURN?
>> I THINK THAT THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE ONES THAT ARE
ON THE GROUND HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, NEAR NORTH
CITIZENS COUNCIL, LIKE ELIZABETH SAID, AND ENLACE, YOU ALSO HAVE
THE SPRINGFIELD FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER.
>> THEY'VE BEEN GREAT.
>> THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN ASSISTING.
THERE'S MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NOT BE SEEING
THE BULK OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
BUT THAT AT THE SAME TIME, ARE HELPING THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN
THROUGH THEIR DOORS.
SO ENLACE HAS BEEN VERY BLESSED ALSO WITH THE WESTERN MASS FOOD
BANK.
THEY'VE BEEN BRINGING US TWO PALLETS A WEEK.
ALTHOUGH OUR NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED SOMEWHAT FROM PEOPLE
ARRIVING.
NOW IT'S ABOUT GETTING STABLIZED.
BUT WE'RE STILL GIVING OUT FOOD TO THOSE THAT ARE COMING
THROUGH.
AND ALSO THOSE THAT ARE NOW MOVING INTO THEIR APARTMENTS SO
WE COULD FILL UP THOSE PANTRIES A LITTLE BIT.