Many Puerto Ricans in Chelsea Stay Busy to Keep Positive

By Seth Daniel

On Monday morning, Margarita Nievez kept busy folding a sheet and some clothing that was set to be trucked out to New Jersey – and later to Puerto Rico.

The day before, she and her friends helped load rice onto pallets.

Last Thursday evening, they participated in a vigil at City Hall, and then helped collect more food that was loaded onto trucks provided by the Teamsters Local 25. That collection was also being shipped to Puerto Rico.

For Nievez, it’s all about staying busy and keeping her mind off her home island, which has been wiped out by two hurricanes this month, most recently Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20.

“It feels good to help here and not think about it,” said Nievez on Monday while  folding a sheet at the Chelsea Collaborative. “They are suffering down there from not having food and water. They could be dying now.”

She began to tear up, and then went back to her work.

Nievez said she has family in Ponce and Comerio – among other remote places that were hit directly.

“I haven’t heard anything from any of them,” she said. “I don’t know where they are.”

Maria Figueroa has a sister in Mayaguez, and she said it has been encouraging to see the community in Chelsea band together so quickly to help.

Indeed, Chelsea historically has one of the largest Puerto Rican communities in the Northeast per capita, and so such a devastating impact on many in the City.

On Monday, Chelsea Police officers and Public Works crews were stationed in the Collaborative racing against the clock to load everything up before the tractor trailer arrived at 3 p.m.

Thousands of pounds of food waited in a hallway.

“I’ve been here doing something from last week until now,” said Figueroa. “Thank God everyone is helping each other. Different cultures and different races are all coming together.”

As they worked, David Rodas came through the doors to bring a variety of rice bags, water and canned goods.

“I’m not even Puerto Rican,” he said. “I’m from El Salvador, but we’re all humans and I see people in need. This is what you do.”

Collaborative Director Gladys Vega said keeping busy has helped her, and helped many like Nievez and Figueroa.

“It’s a way of them coping with what they see on TV,” she said. “They don’t want to sit around the house and not do anything and not know what’s happening. So, I’ve had a lot of people who have showed up and wanted to help since last week. They fold clothes, organize food, or whatever they can do.”

Cutline –

Margarita Nievez folds a sheet at the Chelsea Collaborative on Monday while Leanna Cruz organizes clothing in the background. Many Chelsea residents who have family in Puerto Rico haven’t heard any news of their whereabouts since the devastating Hurricane Maria struck on Sept. 20. To cope, they keep busy.

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