Good morning 506th:
As some of you are aware (I don't exactly hide my heritage since the flag is on my jet and has been for quite some time now), my family in Puerto Rico has been significantly impacted by the destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria; the past two weeks have brought the scale of the storm's effect into clear focus. Lives have been immeasurably altered. Livelihoods brought to a screeching halt. Homes flattened despite being built from concrete and rebar. Roads have been rendered impassible to say nothing for the loss of power and availability of basic living necessities. The situation is improving slowly, but the monumental undertaking awaiting my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends is unlike anything many of us will ever have to endure.
My grandmother's neighbors faired quite badly.
My dad stands in the wreckage of what's left of my uncle's car paint shop.
My parents have recently returned from the stricken island having brought with them my aunt and grandfather to allow them some respite from the devastation. My contribution thus far has been clearing out every Home Depot, Lowes, etc, of every generator and other provisions I can get my hands on. As you can probably imagine, this has proven somewhat difficult as so many items needed in the aftermath of a hurricane have already been sent to Florida and Texas thus supply is low. This hasn't stopped us and as I type this, my mother is at the freight check-in area of Delta where we're sending the next shipment to Puerto Rico. The outreach from so many individuals is being felt as Puerto Ricans stateside are doing everything in their power to provide relief.
I write all this to make you all aware of my next effort to do something to help. My aunt has made me aware of the
Centro de Bendición who are tirelessly volunteering everything they have to help those in need. Their van they use(d) to move children and the elderly to and from the center for the various programs they conduct, which would have been
really useful in the wake of the storm, is a total loss. I've committed to raising some sort of monetary contribution to help them get a replacement and continue the work they do to support the community.
Those who have watched my streams and videos know I don't have any sort of donation supplement in my content. I do what I do for fun and for the entertainment of others. Surprisingly, I have something of a following on my streams and videos of my perspective as I fly CAS on operations. I will be leveraging every social media platform at my disposal and will be inviting everyone to join me on a special sortie: #CASforPR. This Sunday I will be streaming through Twitch, YouTube, and (if I can figure it out) Facebook Live too. Unlike my previous streams, I will have a webcam up and I will most definitely be chatting with my viewers. I will also have a link open for donations to contribute to this charity. This will be the only time I have ever asked or will ever ask my audience for anything other than to enjoy the show. I'm not expecting much but every dollar helps and will go straight to a cause without being caught up in a million miles of red tape. I love what I do here. I enjoy it so very much. If my time in this community can benefit even one person on Puerto Rico, then I will one day be able to look back on my time in the 506th and know it was all worth it.
I need folks to spread the word.
I need your help.
