Florida Senator Rick Scott announced on Wednesday that he will donate his first three salaries as a federal congressman to groups that have helped displaced Puerto Ricans who have arrived in the state following the September 2017 passage of Hurricane Maria.
The Republican, who was governor of Florida when the cyclone devastated the Caribbean island, said he will donate the money to the organizations Restored by God and Legal Services Clinic of Puerto Rico Community, Inc., which have helped affected Puerto Rican families.
“As governor and now senator I’ve been with Puerto Rico and I will not stop fighting to help them recover and rebuild,” Scott said on his Twitter account, which he assumed last January as one of the two senators from Florida.
He said he feels “honored” to support organizations after the devastation caused by Maria on the island, where she caused at least 3,000 deaths.
“It is moving to see that these organizations, and so many generous volunteers, come together to support our compatriots in their time of need, and together, we will never stop fighting for Puerto Rico,” said the federal legislator.
The senator said in a statement that after Hurricane Maria, the Puerto Rico Bar Association of Florida opened a nonprofit legal clinic focused on providing legal services to Puerto Ricans who have settled in Florida.
“The clinic employs displaced Puerto Rican lawyers and provides free and affordable legal assistance to the Puerto Rican community,” he said.
For its part, Mujeres Restauradas Por Dios helps Puerto Rican families to integrate into the community by opening a welcome center in Tampa and connecting them with vital services, such as housing, employment and medical care.
With the passage of Maria, the population of Puerto Ricans in the state, which is especially concentrated in central Florida, has reached 1.3 million surpassing even that of their compatriots in New York.
Scott snatched the seat of Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in the 2018 election and, along with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, represents Florida in the federal Senate. (EFEUSA) .-
