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Unite to Light Puerto Rico

On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and devastated the island. Water, power and communication were all wiped out. Over a month later and we still don’t know when full services will be restored.

One of Coin Up’s nonprofit partners, Unite to Light, is taking an active role in the recovery. Within in ten days of landfall, the organization had raised enough funds to send 1,550 solar powered lights and cell phone chargers to Puerto Rico. These lights are lightweight, durable, bright and will give eight hours of light on a full charge. They are also inexpensive. At just $10 a light, they are less than the average Coin Up user donates per month!

These lights were distributed on the ground through the nonprofit Direct Relief, one of the most effective charities in the world. Working with Direct Relief means that the lights will go to the people who need it most: first responders, medical professionals, health clinics, and community members seeking aid.

says Unite to Light President, Megan Birney. “For people in natural disasters, losing electricity can be devastating. They have lost their home and belongings. Without electricity their ability to clean up, rebuild and reclaim some sense of normalcy stops after dark. A solar light can give them some of that back. It can give them time and it can give them hope.”

The organization continues to raise funds for lights for Puerto Rico and the other Caribbean Islands that were impacted by the hurricanes this summer. Unite to Light is also creating a fund so that lights will be available for disasters next year. Donations can be made through http://www.unitetolight.org/donate/directrelief or by selecting Unite to Light on Coin Up. All donations through Coin Up to Unite to Light through the end of the year will go to aid people in Puerto Rico.