October 10, 2017

Today marks the sixth full day that Teamsters — including Local 174 Safeway member Ben Narayan and Senior Business Agent/Recording Secretary Carl Gasca — will spend in Puerto Rico helping to clean up and rebuild after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

The past five days have been filled with hard work that they are happy to be doing. They have been going deeper and deeper into the island to reach more far-flung communities that were ravaged by the hurricane, delivering supplies to families that have lost everything. The weather has been bad, with huge rainfall that led to even more flooding. The Teamsters once again stepped up, helping to evacuate people from flood zones.

Sleep has been a precious commodity, but one that they view as a luxury at this point, especially as they help people who have been living for weeks in houses without roofs, running water, or electricity.

“I gave one man some water and he cried,” said Gasca. “It has been a very emotional experience.”

“We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico right now, and we are still so proud of our Brothers for the sacrifices they have made to go down there and help,” said Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks.