The Voluntary Norfolk Communities Team are hosting an online screening of the documentary The Response: How Puerto Ricans are restoring Power to the People followed by an informal discussion about mutual aid, harnessing community spirit and how to build resilience in the wake of a crisis.
The Response is a 30 minute film made by the team at Shareable.net and looks at what happened when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017. What began as an impromptu community kitchen meant to help feed survivors in the town of Caguas quickly grew into an island-wide network of mutual aid centers (Centros de Apoyo Mutuo) with the ultimate goal to restore power — both electric and civic — to the people.
This screening and discussion is an opportunity for people in Norfolk to reflect on the spontaneous community response in Puerto Rico and relate it to our own experiences of community during the current pandemic. This event is open to any local people who have an interest in community development, in either a professional or voluntary capacity. Screenings will have a limited numbers of participants to create a friendly informal environment for conversations and networking.
