Marianas daughter, son launch donation drive in Hawaii

A daughter and son of the Marianas who are working and studying at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Hawaii have launched a donation drive to help people affected by the recent super typhoon back home.

Saipan-born Dr. Rica Dela Cruz, an assistant research professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and Guam-born Mason Caldwell, a second-year medical student at JABSOM, are coordinating the drive in conjunction with the Northern Marianas Club of Hawaii.

“So as many of you may have seen, our brothers and sisters in the Marianas as well as in Micronesia have had their communities ripped apart by Super Typhoon Sinlaku about a week and a half ago. There have been great relief efforts—many hands contributing both back home and here in the U.S., including our diaspora community. We’re continuing to look for help as these relief efforts move forward,” said Caldwell.

Dela Cruz, for her part, said there are several ways to contribute.

“One of the ways is through a donation drive organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Club here in Honolulu. They will be collecting goods such as hygiene products, non-lithium batteries, tarps, and non-perishable food items.”

She said donations can be dropped off during the main drive scheduled this weekend, May 1-3.

“You can also bring items throughout the week at JABSOM MEB, and we’ll transport those goods to the main drive next weekend,” Dela Cruz added.

Caldwell said organizers hope to replicate the strong turnout seen during recent flood relief efforts in Wailua.

“I want to keep this momentum going for the Marianas this time, especially for those who may not be able to physically bring donations to MEB or the drop-off site in Pearl City,” he said.

He added that organizers will also share GoFundMe links, including one for the Micronesian Climate Change Alliance, which he said has been on the ground conducting needs assessments and identifying priority assistance for affected communities.

Those who wish to contribute financially may donate directly via PayPal at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/microcca.