There have been many moments in the aftermath of Maria that I’ll never be able to forget… one of those moments took place Sunday night. This nightmare was suspended, if only briefly, and thanks to this community’s generosity my friends and I were able to bring light to a man who has been in the dark for 5 months.
I introduced you to Don Feliberto Maldonado here and here, and your response has been overwhelming and humbling. So far we’ve raised $1400 and an incredible number of items from the Amazon Wish List created for him. Words can’t adequately describe my gratitude, I can only hope that through our actions here on the island we will repay our debt to you all.
On Sunday me and my good friends Gerardo Mendez and Michelle Ukulele again made the trip to Utuado, PR to visit Don Feliberto, and what made this trip especially significant was the generator we were bringing him. Don Feliberto has been without power since Maria destroyed his home on September 20th, and thanks to this community, Sunday was the first time since that horrific afternoon that he was able to have lights on after the sun went down. Spending another lonely night completely in the dark is hopefully behind him, and you made this happen.
There’s really no way to convey Don Feliberto’s reaction once he realized what we brought him. First he scolded us for making the trip in a torrential downpour and fog so thick we could barely see our hands in front of our faces. Even in his desperate circumstances he was more worried about our safety than his own. We all ran from the car into the house and waited until late in the afternoon before the rain and fog finally let up enough for us to unload the truck.
To say he was overcome with emotion is an understatement. All he could do was grab the top of his head and rock back and forth in shock. Through a flood of tears he expressed his disbelief when Gerardo and I hauled in the generator box. None of us dared interrupt the moment with pics, but, I did get Denise Oliver Velez on the phone and through the speaker she could share this special time with Don Feliberto. He kept saying over and over again to Dee that God must have sent angels to him, and even though we’re no angels, seriously, we were all crying with him.
This community really opened their hearts and the generator wasn’t the only gift we had for Don Feliberto. We brought 2 large gas cans filled with fuel, extension cords, a power strip, 2 LED lanterns and enough batteries to get him through for a good long while, a new lamp and bulbs, a set of battery operated LED lights so all his rooms have a push button light, a fan, lots of food including a hot meal for him, underwear, t-shirts, socks, and we saved one of the best things for last…
Don Feliberto has been without a way to communicate, so we bought him a new phone and a 30-day unlimited plan! He was in shock again, and almost as thrilled with his new phone as he was with the generator. On our first visit, Gerardo and I asked him about a phone and he had one — a small android that he was given as part of Obama’s program for low-income families. There were 2 problems with that. 1. The phone wouldn’t charge even though we actually took it out of the original box and packaging and left it connected to the car charger for about 5 hours… and, 2. He had no idea how to use the phone even if charged. He kept talking about his dismay with new technology and his wish for the “old” phones that had actual buttons. On Sunday that’s exactly what he got, a flip phone with real buttons!
Michelle made sure he knew how to use his new phone, even programming my and Gerardo’s numbers into speed dial. Yesterday afternoon we received our first call from him — it was another wonderful, wonderful moment. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is that he can call anyone, anytime if there’s a problem, or just to talk so he doesn’t feel so alone. I just can’t imagine how he must be feeling now.
Yesterday’s call was about his generator. He was able to turn it off with his shiny new remote control, but when he went outside to check on it he found a red light still on and he got worried — if only we all could have such worries! We explained again about the on/off switch :o) so all’s well, and after a long talk we promised to see him again on Sunday.
We’re still awaiting the arrival of his donated gas water pump and we still have to run PVC up from the well, so there’s a lot of work to do before he has running water again, but we’re on our way.
This week’s focus is on buying him a new refrigerator and a gas stove. I just know that if we continue pulling together we can make this happen for Don Feliberto. It will be a huge step forward when he can keep his food cold and cook again on a proper stove instead of his unsafe single burner on top of a salvaged wood tabletop supported by used tires. I hope you’ll join me in this effort.
Even with one burner, on Sunday Don Feliberto insisted on being a good host and repaying kindness in the only way he could. He made us delicious Puerto Rican coffee and shared his crackers and a banana with us. We split it in 4 pieces and it was the best damn banana, ever. He has such a heart, and for me he deserves all that my heart can give. I hope you continue on this journey with me knowing that you have my deepest gratitude every step of the way.
The link to Don Feliberto’s Amazon Wish List is HERE, I’ve removed the many items that you’ve already purchased and will be adding more as soon as I can. If you guys have any suggestions I’m all ears! Maria took all his possessions and he needs absolutely everything to start life over again. Please Kosmail me for our info if you would like to contribute, we couldn’t do this without your support. Let’s get Don Feliberto his new refrigerator and stove!
Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for answering this call for help and I promise to keep doing my best for Don Feliberto until the job is done.
Closing today’s post is a song that’s close to our hearts, Gerardo and I blare it when things get a bit overwhelming. No matter what, we’ll never give up. Puerto Rico may be battered, but we’re nowhere close to being defeated.
Pa’lante