John,

For five days, most of Puerto Rico has been without power or clean water.  

Hurricane Fiona hit the island on Sunday, the first major hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since the management of the electric grid was privatized. Even before the hurricane’s catastrophic flooding, people were protesting in the streets against LUMA Energy, which continues to raise rates amidst frequent blackouts.

We must support on-the-ground groups providing community care during this disaster. Local, community-led organizations have launched the Fiona Community Response Fund, which aims to address immediate humanitarian needs as well as long-term power building work for an equitable recovery.

Please donate as generously as you can today to support emergency relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

In Detroit, Jackson, Puerto Rico, and across the country, our communities have been left without power, water, or other life-sustaining services while for-profit utility companies continue to raise rates. When people can no longer afford to pay, utility companies cut families off from these essential services.

This particularly harms communities of color, where utilities are less likely to invest in infrastructure upgrades, and which tend to bear the brunt of pollution and climate chaos.

Access to safe and reliable utilities is a human right. And we must be more proactive as we’re set to face more disasters fueled by climate change.

It’s been about 5 years since Hurricane Maria left most of Puerto Rico without power for nearly a year. Clearly, not enough has been done to strengthen Puerto Rico’s electric grid since then. These storms aren’t going to stop—they’re going to keep getting worse.

During this crisis, community groups need our support. That’s why I’m asking you to please donate today to the Fiona Community Response Fund, led by trusted groups that have been working on the ground to build resilience and prepare for disasters.

Thank you so much. We just experienced widespread blackouts in my district, and my heart breaks for everyone suffering through Puerto Rico’s outages.

Together, we’re going to keep fighting for a country where everyone can access the utility services they need to survive and to live with dignity.

In solidarity,

Rashida