As Puerto Rico Suffers, Chicago Steps Up

As Puerto Rico Suffers, Chicago Steps Up

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President Trump suggested Thursday that there would be limits on how long FEMA, U.S. troops and aid workers would be present on Puerto Rico as the island tries to recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.Meanwhile, people in Chicago are mobilizing to provide their own forms of aid to the island, including taking friends and family members into their own homes. Last week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said 1,600 Puerto Ricans had come to the city so far.

Morning Shift talks to Cristina Pacione-Zayas, co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda, about her efforts to get a plane full of supplies to mountain towns in the center of the island, an area hard-hit by the storms. We also hear from McKinley Park resident Natalia Delgado. Six of her family members, including her 91-year-old grandmother, will be leaving Puerto Rico for Chicago later this month. We also take calls from listeners.

If you would like to support relief efforts for Puerto Rico or make a donation, you can visit puertoricanchicago.org or disasterassistance.gov.