WHEREAS, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused widespread devastation in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and the Caribbean including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico — particularly in underserved communities that lack necessary infrastructure and communities struggling with poverty; and

WHEREAS, wildfires in California have destroyed thousands of homes, uprooted tens of thousands of people, and caused billions of dollars in damage; and

WHEREAS, Puerto Rico’s capacity for long-term disaster recovery is impaired by an ongoing financial crisis related to the staggering debt owed by the government, in large part due to exploitive practices by vulture hedge funds; and

WHEREAS, the UFT Disaster Relief Fund was established in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and has since helped members affected by disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, and has contributed to the relief effort in places afflicted by natural disasters, including Haiti and the Philippines; and

WHEREAS, the UFT is organizing its members to support recovery efforts in hurricane- and fire-devastated regions and, as of Sept. 25, UFT members contributed $26,000 to the UFT Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and $16,000 to help victims of Hurricane Maria; and

WHEREAS, the UFT has organized donation drives in the borough offices to gather canned food, clothing and other necessary supplies for the victims of the hurricanes; therefore be it

RESOLVED, the UFT will work with the AFT and NYSUT to continue to raise funds for the communities affected by the hurricanes and the fires.