FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Connecting Natural Disaster Survivors with Loved Ones is the Goal of Newly Launched N2NGO
Founder
discusses finding inspiration for mission during the aftermath of
Hurricane Maria and hopes for the new NGO to be at the ready for any
future natural disasters
New
York, NY [June 11, 2019] – New York City-based photographer and
humanitarian, Carlos Chiossone, has announced the launch of a new NGO
with a mission to connect survivors of natural disasters with their
families via satellite technology, covering zones block by block.
When
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Chiossone, a licensed amateur
(ham) radio operator, encountered dozens of people in the United States
and Puerto Rico who were desperate to be able to communicate with their
loved ones. Because of the lack of cellular connectivity and
electricity, people on the island were cut off from the rest of the
world. Chiossone went to the roof of his New York City apartment
building and was able to hear a KP4 station from Aguadillas, Puerto
Rico. He began receiving messages from Puerto Rico to pass to their
families on the mainland. Chiossone was able to connect 424 families
over the course of 10 days.
Chiossone
aims to formalize his efforts and expand his reach by partnering with
satellite communications companies. N2NGO aims to be on the ground
during the aftermath, bringing mobile units to areas affected by
disasters, and continuously connecting people until services are
restored. The current goal is to connect 100-200 families per day using
the satellite system.
Chiossone says, “We
are currently fundraising to provide our first responder group with the
necessary equipment to cover the United States. This equipment consists
of a dedicated response vehicle to house our team, the satellite infrastructure, all of the gear needed while on deployment, and the smaller but necessary parts to make each response a safe and successful one.”
N2NGO
will have an interactive map on its website for families to request to
find a loved one and connect with them. This map will make it possible
for people outside of the disaster zone to follow the team as they make
their way through, and keep track of the people found along the way.
To learn more about this initiative, please visit https://n2ngo.org/. If you are interested in volunteering time or resources, you can reach out to Carlos at info@n2ngo.org.
N2NGO is accepting donations of all kinds at its GoFundMe page.
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About N2NGO
N2NGO
exists to connect families affected by natural disasters with their
loved ones. By partnering with satellite communications companies, we
bring our mobile units areas affected by disasters and provide survivors
access to our WiFi networks to send and receive messages.
Contact:
Jess DelVirginia
212.473.3616
press@n2ngo.org