New York City employees wishing to travel to Puerto Rico to help with disaster-relief efforts can get help from the city to cover their travel and lodging costs, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday at a noon news conference and reiterated hours later via his official Twitter account.
“We will help facilitate travel and accommodations for City employees who want to go and volunteer,” Mr. de Blasio’s official Twitter account said Thursday afternoon.
“Obviously we will be very flexible about the time they need to take off to do that,” the mayor promised earlier at his news conference.
Mr. de Blasio also noted that city employees could elect to deduct money directly from their pay checks to help Puerto Rican relief efforts.
“Already nine FDNY and NYPD personnel are on the ground. Another 27 first responders will deploy the moment FEMA gives landing clearance,” Mr. de Blasio’s account tweeted Thursday afternoon.
In his news conference, Mr. de Blasio noted the 27 already on the ground had already been there doing relief work after Hurricane Irma.
Mr. de Blasio also pledged a team from New York City’s emergency management office was on its way to the U.S. commonwealth.
The mayor also issued a call in the news conference for city residents to donate “four things and four things only … diapers, baby food, batteries and first aid supplies.” A subsequent tweet by the mayor’s office, however, also added a call for “Feminine hygiene products.”
Noting that some 700,000 New Yorkers have ties to the island, a U.S. commonwealth, Mr. de Blasio said, “We have to be there for the people of Puerto Rico.”
“The City of New York is ready to support the people of Puerto Rico,” he said at Thursday’s news conference. “My message to all Puerto Ricans is New York City stands with you, and we will be there to help.”
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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