MCS Foundation and Acción Social de Puerto Rico continue economic development activities to support Puerto Rico relief: Foundation's donation of electric generator supports opening of center that produces mosquito nets and tarps to prevent a surge in disease

GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico, Dec. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MCS Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created by MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC (MCS), has donated an electric generator to make possible the opening of a sewing center to manufacture mosquito nets and tarps in the Pueblito del Carmen community in Guayama, Puerto Rico. This is another joint project of the MCS Foundation and Acción Social de Puerto Rico.

"The generator has the capacity to power the center's entire operation, which is particularly important because this region has not yet received power," said Liana O'Drobinak, Executive Director of the MCS Foundation. "The mosquito nets and tarps the center manufactures will help prevent the surge in disease spread by mosquitoes and also create much-needed jobs."

Prior to Hurricane María, participants in the Acción Social de Puerto Rico program took a sewing workshop to train for a trade that would allow them to be self-sufficient and expand labor market participation.

Post-Maria, however, the accumulation of standing water and lack of drainage has created breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With no power in many areas, residents need to keep their windows open while they are sleeping, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as zika virus, dengue fever and chikungunya fever. As many houses are still without roofs, tarps are needed to provide additional shelter. 

Acción Social de Puerto Rico and MCS Foundation saw this situation as an opportunity for those who had taken the workshop to use their new skills not only to earn money, but also to reduce the spread of disease and contribute to the restoration of the local economy. 

"The success of this sewing center will represent an important economic engine for this community in the future," said O'Drobinak. "We admire Acción Social's flexibility in adapting its programs to the current situation to help meet the needs of the island and its people."

Acción Social de Puerto Rico is one of the not-for-profit organizations that benefit from the MCS Foundation's Green for Puerto Rico fundraising campaign, whose final goal is $1.5 million. Other organizations benefitting from the MCS Foundation's campaign include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, Caras Las Américas' www.connectrelief.com initiative, and the Puerto Rico YMCA.

Alicia Ramírez, Executive Director of Acción Social de Puerto Rico, said, "Our objective with this program is to prepare those who are unemployed or have scare resources, giving them the necessary skills and tools to engage in productive activities that take them to a higher level of economic independence. Thanks to the support of the MCS Foundation, we are certainly achieving our objective, while promoting a better quality of life in our communities." 

To contribute to the MCS Foundation's Green for Puerto Rico fundraising campaign, go to www.greenforpuertorico.org and make a donation using PayPal or a credit card.

About the MCS Foundation
The MCS Foundation is an organization under Section 501c3, created by MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC (MCS) to promote positive and lasting changes in society. Through collaborative efforts with several non-profit organizations, the MCS Foundation aims to help improve the quality of life for thousands of people, and to support collective development through initiatives that promote education, health, culture and sports. Over the past seven years, MCS has donated over $4.5 million to important charitable causes for Puerto Rico, directly or through the MCS Foundation, or the MCS Sponsorship Program. In addition to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, other beneficiaries of MCS's support in the past have included Caras Las Américas, the Puerto Rico Psycho-pedagogical Institute, the New School Institute and Puerto Rican Youth at Risk, among others. Website: www.mcsfoundationpr.org; Twitter: @MCSHealthCares

About MCS
For 35 years, MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC (MCS) has been one of the leading companies in Puerto Rico's healthcare industry. Since its founding, MCS has established a solid reputation in the market for providing service quality excellence and competitive products. MCS Life Insurance Co., a subsidiary of MCS, offers a broad array of commercial health plans for groups and individuals, as well as group life insurance. MCS Advantage, Inc., through its MCS Classicare products, offers an extensive variety of Medicare Advantage coverage aimed at promoting quality of life and well-being to Puerto Rico's Medicare population. Website: https://www.mcs.com.pr/en/Pages/default.aspx; Twitter: @MCSPuertoRico

About Acción Social
Acción Social de Puerto Rico, Inc. (ASPRI) is a private non-profit organization created in 1982 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ASPRI has over 35 years of experience serving economically disadvantaged individuals and families at the community level through the provision of human services, and the promotion of economic and community development. ASPRI's strategy is based on promoting the commitment of community residents to serve and address their problems in partnership with the public and private sectors, as well as the public in general. 

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SOURCE MCS Foundation