More than a year after Hurricane María touched down in Puerto Rico, the island still needs help. And while President Donald Trump seems to believe that the federal government has responded more than adequately – recently he falsely claimed that PR received $91 billion in recovery aid – and Congress rejecting another disaster relief package, the island has a long way to go. And many, including Oprah, are stepping in to try to improve the situation. On Monday, the actress and producer, announced she would donate $2 million to disaster relief efforts on the island.
She credits Lin-Manuel Miranda with inspiring her to make this donation. “I was so moved by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s commitment to bring ‘Hamilton’ to Puerto Rico and support the community that served him growing up that I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty, and heritage,” she said in a statement. “The needs of Puerto and our fellow American citizens following the tragic hurricanes are still very real, and the work that has already been done by the Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan Arts Fund, and other organizations on and off the island is long from over.”
The donation will be split up equally between the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program – which seeks to address the immediate and long-term needs of Puerto Rican families – and Flamboyan Arts Fund, which Miranda and his family launched.