Jean and I flew back from Puerto Rico earlier this month and uncovered Puerto Rican roots throughout our voyage. I wore one of my Christmas gifts back to Maryland, a t-shirt. My new black t-shirt with a picture of a Coqui holding a Puerto Rican flag and wearing a straw hat in the upper left front calls out.
In the San Juan airport, I got a few compliments walking through the terminal and before entering our plane. Leaving Atlanta, we found another native Puerto Rican gate agent who liked seeing a reminder of his native island as we stepped toward the concourse. He shook my hand and Jean sounded the call of the Coqui as we passed to board. We had left the island but stayed connected.
More than wearing a t-shirt, we take Hermandad and our love for Puerto Rico everywhere. Given an opportunity, I will share Hermandad’s story at banks, stores, doctor’s offices or wherever an opportunity arises. Jean and I find those who want to help everywhere, and we share the story.
Our latest opportunity to help comes through our gift that birthed the “Reverend John & Mrs. Jean Knight Endowment Fund for Puerto Rico.” This endowment acts as an aid for Hermandad’s work now and into the future managed by the American Baptist Foundation. Our first gift from the endowment was $1,000 to the Corporación Milagros del Amor (CorMA) in Caguas, Puerto Rico. CorMA received Hermandad’s first gift after our birth in 2019.
Jean and I will work with Reverend Rick Barlow at the American Baptist Foundation. He has provided great advice as we do our best to insure Hermandad’s work continues for long after our lives. You could receive an email from him, and we want to invite you to engage with him as he helps Hermandad.
Y ¡muchas gracias!