Statement of Ponce Hurricane Relief Efforts

Ponce Medical School Foundation, Inc., DBA Ponce Research Institute (PRI) will be collecting donations on behalf of Hurricane Maria relief efforts, consistent with the organization’s mission as a charitable, educational, scientific 501(c)(3) Public Charity. These funds will be used by PRI for three main purposes in providing for the health and wellbeing of Puerto Rican communities:

1. Providing the citizen and patient care and welfare within Puerto Rico, including but not limited to: purchasing, transporting, and distributing medical supplies, food, toiletries, and other household goods to Puerto Rican residents, with a focus on southcentral Puerto Rico; and providing high-quality, timely, and effective care to the residents of this area, including coordination of transporting of doctors and other health workers from U.S. to Puerto Rico. This includes providing assistance to staff of local pharmaceutical, education, and health industries that were severely impacted by the hurricane, in order to help maintain workforce stability in south central Puerto Rico.

2. Ensuring student education and welfare through efforts including but not limited to: providing health sciences students displacement and relocation stipends to enable relocation as needed within Puerto Rico and /or U.S. states to ensure timely completion of student academic programs; and providing education scholarships for health sciences Students sustaining financial losses from hurricane Maria.

3. Rebuilding, operating, and improving research facilities and capabilities associated with PRI that were impacted by hurricane Maria, including but not limited to CAIMED-one of the largest clinical trial units in Puerto Rico