Carlton church plans fundraiser on Oct. 29 for community in Puerto Rico
Jeffry Garcia, pictured top right, and his family survived Hurricane Maria, but their rural community of Moca was badly damaged from the hurricane.
CARLTON — A local church will host a fund-raiser on Oct. 29 to help a small town in Puerto Rico that has been devastated from Hurricane Maria.
Jeffry Garcia lives in the town of Moca on the western side of Puerto Rico. He is the cousin of Betty Garcia Mathewson of Albion.
Betty Garcia Mathewson
Betty attends a yoga class, Inspired Yoga, led by Pat Haines at the Carlton United Methodist Church. Haines and the yoga class are spearheading a fundraiser on Oct. 29 to help Jeffry Garcia’s community.
Betty Garcia Mathewson said much of the humanitarian relief is focused on San Juan and the more populated areas. She worries especially for the small towns that don’t get much media or political attention.
“This is one rural community helping another,” she said about the upcoming event.
The yoga class and the church will raffle off gift baskets, and they will also accept gently used clothing and money. The funds will be wired from the Carlton United Methodist Church to the Centro Cristiano Nueva Vision – the New Vision Christian Center. Jeffry Garcia is an active member of the that church. The donations will be given beyond the church community in Moca, Puerto Rico.
Checks can also be made out to the Carlton United Methodist Church or CUMC and mailed to the church at 1196 Archbald Rd., Waterport, NY 14571.
Moca is an agricultural community and the crops have been destroyed by the powerful hurricane. The electricity and most of the phone lines have also been knocked out.
The funds raised on Oct. 29 could help pay for solar powered lights, hand-cranked flashlights and water purifiers, Garcia Mathewson said.
Anyone interested in giving a gift basket or making a donation to the effort is welcome to call Haines at (585) 764-9975, Garcia Mathewson at (585) 590-0504 or Laurie Fredrick at (585) 755-5253.
