Soudelor anniversary turns 2

The entire Commonwealth will mark the second anniversary this August of the time when Typhoon Soudelor laid waste to much of Saipan.

The Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Effort, or CARE, which is spearheading much of the recovery efforts, is inviting the public to commemorate the occasion with a proclamation signing tomorrow, Aug. 1, and an outreach at the CARE booth at the Thursday Night Market on August 3.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres will sign the proclamation document at one of CARE’s recently rebuilt homes in Koblerville tomorrow morning at 8:30am. The event will recognize the dedication of a network that has helped families become stronger after Soudelor, as well as the community’s commitment to helping all families recover from disaster. To learn more, visit www.facebook.com/carecnmi.

CARE will also be holding a fundraiser on Aug. 3, from 6pm to 10pm at its booth at the Thursday Night Market.

The goal of the fundraiser is to raise money for building materials for the remaining families still recovering from Soudelor.

There will be games, visual displays, and Pika chocolate chip cookies available for every $1 donated. The organization will give away a DriFit T-shirt for every $20 donated.

In August 2016, CARE hosted a number of events to commemorate the first anniversary of Soudelor. The sunrise vigil “SOU’ Rise” brought the community together to show courage and strength on the actual anniversary of Soudelor, a proclamation from the governor honored the many organizations that worked in direct relief in the weeks after Soudelor, and SOU’ Fest honored the resiliency of the people in their recovery.

Since September 2015, 188 families have benefited from the CARE Repair and Rebuilding Program by receiving building materials and/or skilled volunteer labor.

While many have been able to fully recover, thanks to CARE’s assistance, there are still approximately 100 families who have an immediate need for repair and rebuild work today.

CARE needs to raise $650,000 to help the remaining families recover from the typhoon.

CARE has raised $2.4 million in financial and in-kind resources to date to support their repair and rebuilding program. Approximately 37 percent of resources have come from the federal government, 26 percent from local businesses and nonprofits, 21 percent from international nonprofits, and 17 percent from the local government.

For more information on how CARE prioritizes families in need of assistance, visit http://carecnmi.org/about/faq.

As of July 1, CARE is no longer accepting new cases for disaster recovery assistance.

The organization has 100 clients on its waitlist, and the network does not have enough funds to accommodate those who have already been waiting for two years.

The CARE booth at the Thursday Night Market is raising money to help the remaining clients on their waitlist recover from Soudelor.

To learn more about CARE’s operations and what the CARE network has done to help the community, view the 2016 CARE Impact Report at or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carecnmi.

Typhoon Soudelor hit the CNMI on Aug. 2, 2015.