New partnership will send more than $2 million to the devastated island. Roxana Rivera, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU stated "As a member of local and national community coalitions Alliance for Puerto Rico and Vamos4PR, we welcome the announcement this morning that, with the support of Boston Mayor Walsh and Mass. Governor Baker, the Boston Foundation will partner with the community organizations that we are part of to form "Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico," an effort to raise money for the devastated island of Puerto Rico (Tbf.org/PuertoRico). Cargo shipments of relief have been stalled at Puerto Rican ports and so Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico's pledge to raise at least $2 million in monetary relief will be a much needed and faster relieve for Puerto Ricans who are faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.  As we address short term needs of the 3.5 million American citizens in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricanes Maria and Irma, we also have to begin the long term relief efforts that will enable the island to recover from the immediate physical storms and the economic storms that has ravaged the country for years.  Legislation like the Jones Act, that is restricting the delivery of essential cargo from foreign countries to the island and has inflated the cost of goods on the island since its inception, needs to be immediately repealed. If left unaddressed, the issue of Puerto Rico's $72 billion debt crisis will also continue to make life harder for Puerto Ricans. It’s immoral to insist that before Puerto Rican families can rebuild their homes, their hospitals, their schools and their roads, they must first pay back the banks. This debt needs to be eliminated and we will continue to encourage local officials to support this effort.