A Bronx man has spent his life
volunteering in the borough and in
Puerto Rico.
Hector Pereira decided to join the Red Cross as a volunteer after Superstorm
Sandy in 2014, and he’s now taking his service to another level.
“I feel compelled to give and that’s something that motivates me as an individual,” Pereira says.
The Puerto Rican native has
volunteered for the Red Cross’s Bronx Disaster Action Team, helping people
displaced because of fires or other disasters.
He hopes his outreach can be an
example to others.
Pereira was deployed back to Puerto
Rico in 2017 when Hurricane Maria hit.
“I needed to go back to Puerto Rico to help my people, and I needed to do something,” Pereira says.
He says he is thinking of helping out internationally.
Pereira is an immigration
officer, but he plans to
retire this year to spend more time volunteering.