In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane María, the devastation of the island of Puerto Rico and the catastrophic destruction of the island’s power grid left millions in the dark. Reports indicated that more than a year later many families did not have their electric power restored. The ability to generate power on the island was not the same as the ability to transmit it effectively to everyone. With this information in mind, SOS by Urbander launched a crisis intervention program called Adopta un Pueblo (Adopt a Town) celebrating a fundraiser in November 2017 to purchase solar light bulbs for families in Puerto Rico that continued to face the challenge of long evenings without a source of light.

Almost 1,000 light bulbs were purchased thanks to the donations collected. As a long-term and sustainable solution, when fully charged, the solar bulbs purchased provided the equivalent of a 60-watt bulb, delivering a sense of
normalcy during a very abnormal situation. Adopta un Pueblo volunteers delivered the light bulbs to various towns in Puerto Rico, and taught families how to use them.