Allan Appel Photo
Serrecchia and fellow awardee David Sepulveda.
Just today four new families walked in, driven by lost housing, no electric power, crumbling infrastructure, and the ongoing closings of schoosl and clinics,
That’s one example of why the situation in Puerto Rico, ravaged by Hurricane Maria last September remains urgent
The place the needy families walked into was Junta for Progressive Action, which has already provided gateway assistance to 450 hurricane-driven families.
The person who shared that news was Paola Serrecchia, Junta’s director of advocacy.
Yet the moment was a celebratory one, as Serrecchia along with other New Haveners central to the municipal relief campaign for Puerto Rico — a coalition called New Haven 4 Puerto Rico, which shipped $139,000 in supplies to the devastated island— received accolades and gratitude at the third annual gala dinner organized by Puerto Ricans United, Inc.
The event drew an expected 220 people to Amarante’s Sea Cliff restaurant in Morris Cove Thursday night.
Capt. Zaya with his plaque.
In addition to Junta„ which received the group’s Community Non-Profit Award, the other awardees included Fire Dept. Captain Ralph Reyes, who received the community service award for mobilizing the New Haven Hispanic Firefighters Association, which he helms, in fundraising, along with Arte, Inc, for hurricane relief and collecting and distributing to toys to kids in the newly arrived families for Three Kings Day.
David Sepulveda’s Arts and Culture Award cited his coverage as a reporter for the Independent of stories related to the relief effort, and for his design of the backdrops for the city’s upcoming Puerto Rican festival on the Green, slated for Aug.11.
Joey Rodriguez, chairman of Puerto Ricans United and one of the event’s main organizers along with vice-chairman Edwin Martinez, said the fundraiser is designed to raise awareness of the upcoming festival.
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ned Lamont drops by to offer congrats and to meet some voters.
For decades there have been Puerto Rican festivals and events around the state and in New Haven. But, Rodriguez said. the last time there had been a Puerto Rican festival on the Green had been 2009 — until, that is, Puerto Ricans United was founded three years ago. Its purpose is to express solidarity with Puerto Rico and to celebrate Puerto Ricans’ ties with New Haven.
This year all the awards reflect the community’s coming together around the relief effort, although relief is not the main focus of the organization.
Rodriguez said that his group brought together Puerto Rican communities in Hartford, New Britain, and Bridgeport around devising a common theme. The theme is “unidos en una sola voz,” or speaking with one voice.
Local businessman and co-chair of the Fair Haven Management Team David Steinhardt offers his congrats.
In practice, that means that Rodriguez intends to have a voter registration reminder be trumpeted from the stage on the Green on Aug. 11 along with the music of the featured star Oscar Serrano.
Sepulveda, looking fit after recovering from a serious heart operation in November, said he was not accustomed to being the center of attention. He’s usually “behind the scenes” as a reporter, artist, and the designer of flats, sets, and backdrops ranging from plays at Collective Consciousness Theater to the upcoming Puerto Rican festival on the Green.
In addition to these three awards, Rodriguez presented special recognitions to Rick Fontana, the city’s emergency management chief. for bringing together so many of the groups who comprised the relief coalition; and to Lina Vazquez, a Trinity College student in recognition of her organizing young people in the effort.
In the past two years, 5,000 – 7,000 people have attended the festival on the Green. This year Rodriguez predicted 10,000 will come.
Meanwhile, because of a continued severe housing crisis on the highland, continued infrastructure failures, and the closing of an estimated at least 280 schools this summer, Serrecchia said. she and her Junta staff are expecting another wave of Puerto Rican families coming to New Haven in September.