Venice High School’s MEChA Club is collecting donations for the hurricane and earthquake victims in Mexico and Puerto Rico. MEChA will be working on “Let’s Rebuild,” a global project to address the essential needs that the disastrous events have generated in these countries.

“Let’s Rebuild” is being organized by “Let’s Give”, an organization presently planning long-term help for the people in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

MEChA is a club that allows for different Chicanxs to unite and spread their culture in their community. Many other high schools, including Animo Venice, Palisades, and Culver City, are also taking part in “Let’s Rebuild,” posting flyers to help spread the word.

Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, recently hit Puerto Rico dead on, causing power outages on the island, along with limiting food, water, fuels, and many more necessities.

The donation items that will benefit Puerto Rico the most are flashlights, batteries, canned food, buckets, mosquito spray, mosquito nets, baby wipes, dipers, powdered milk, candles, battery operated radios, dry fruit, nuts, cereal, hygeine products, and large water bottles. Donations should be brought to Room 138 at lunch.

In Mexico, there were recent 8.1 and 7.1 magnitude earthquakes that hit the country, causing buildings and houses to fall, power poles to topple over, and around 216 known deaths.

Mexico’s current needs are blankets, sleeping bags, rain boots, tarps, tents, air mattresses, rope, hygeine prodcuts(full size), rice, powderedmilk, beans, large water bottles, vitamin C, pillows, rain coats, socks, and sweaters. The list for donations is currently being evaluated to decide which items are the most beneficial.

For anyone who wants to help organize the long project, MEChA meets in Room 138 on Thursdays. For anyone who wants to donate money, you can donate to www.letsgivemovement.org