The Town of Amherst and the Amherst Public Schools are working to be ready to welcome and support families relocating here from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. We need YOUR help!
Massachusetts is home to the fifth largest Puerto Rican population in the USA. We have already welcomed some families to our community and anticipate many others will soon follow.
We are inviting local community groups, social service agencies, and the members of the public to join us on November 2, 2017 at the Amherst Middle School library from 6:30-8:00 pm. We will be meeting to coordinate efforts to support people and families coming from Puerto Rico. The goal of the meeting is to outline the needs and identify the supports families and individuals will have as they arrive from the island, after weeks of not having their basic needs met after Hurricane Maria.
We want to hear from as many voices as possible to make sure we are comprehensive in our planning and our delivery of services. Effective communication and collaboration will be necessary for the success of our work and we want to be inclusive and transparent in the process. If folks cannot attend, they are invited to send in their offer of services, thoughts and ideas to:
Dr. Marta Guevara, Director Student and Family Engagement for the Schools – guevaram@arps.org or Julie Federman- Amherst Health Director federmanj@amherstma.