When I first came to Plenitud PR through a Service Learning trip in college, I had absolutely no idea how much my life would be transformed in just a week with the organization. I landed in Las Marías on my 21st birthday in 2013, a seemingly happy coincidence. I say this because the way that I found out about Plenitud PR was slightly unconventional; though I see now, ten years later, that it was no coincidence - just a return to home and my soul family.

When the pandemic started in 2020, I noticed my mom was off— her anxiety and changes in mood were evident. She felt that something was wrong and, after several medical appointments and physical examinations, she discovered that she had a hernia in her esophagus which was aggravating her digestion. At the time that my mother discovered her condition, I found out that Plenitud PR was planning their first Healthy Eating and Wellness pilot course. Almost eight months later, and we’ve grown so much. My mother has lost weight, she eats less meat, cooks with more intention and her gastric problems are under control. Improvements have been significant. The eyes of my mother are full of light again.

What has made Las Marías be known for the china dulce, above the other towns? The passion and love for this fruit has brought unity and opportunities for the community. Since the town's founding in 1872, the cultivation of the china dulce has been a key contributor to the development of the town’s economy and livelihood of the town’s people. However, in recent years it has actually been quite difficult to find oranges that are from Puerto Rico…

There are two lines in the song “Lamento Borincano” by Rafael Hernández Marín that tighten my throat every time I hear or sing them: “¿Qué será de mi Borinquen, mi Dios querido? ¿Qué será de mis hijos y de mi hogar?” --What will happen to Borinquen (Puerto Rico), my dear God? What will happen to my children and my home?

The last two weeks have felt like a whirlwind of non-stop service that has left me worn out, overwhelmed and frustrated at times, and yet optimistic and grateful all at once. Last Sunday, the exhaustion finally caught up with our team–three busy days preparing our educational farm for the impact of Hurricane Fiona, followed by a full week of 14-16 hour work days responding to the community’s needs.

In the aftermath of the devastating impact of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, we activated the La Cancha Sana Community Center, our resilience hub and community kitchen, to provide hot meals to the community and work crews to help the farmers of the area. As part of the immediate response to protect the people and nearby communities, we have worked long hours to open roads, remove plant debris, and help 20 families with damaged homes.

After Hurricane María, all of our lives changed - even those of us who practiced rainwater harvesting and had barrels for collecting water for the plants. For my family, my wife and 2 young children, our inverter and a boat battery to generate electricity that we use during the last hurricanes only lasted 1-2 days. This time, the challenge of where to get rainwater or electricity hit hard and made us think outside the box. We should be resilient. 

Hello! My name is Myrna Torres and I am a very fortunate teacher of six wonderful kids with neurodiversity. Together, we are the Salón a Tiempo Completo Modificado at the Eva Patria Custodio High School in Las Marías. I learned about Plenitud PR through Arlene Ramírez, the occupational therapist for my students. INFINITE THANKS, ARLENE!

The heart of Plenitud PR is our 15-acre educational farm and teaching center in Las Marías, Puerto Rico, and this is the place that I call home. My name is John, and I have the privilege of serving as the Operations Director of this little slice of tropical paradise. This position grants me a window into everything that happens on-site, and I want to give you a glimpse into a day in the life at Plenitud PR.

It’s hard to believe that COVID-19 has had a grip on our world for more than a year now. During this time, we’ve been physically separated from friends, family, and community to keep each other safe. We’ve adapted to new ways of communicating, learning, working, and staying connected. And here at Plenitud PR, we’ve been looking to serve our community in innovative ways while also protecting those most vulnerable to the pandemic in our area.

Since its inception, Plenitud PR has strived for more sustainable, ecological, and healthier ways of living, full of gratitude and love. In this process, we find ways to connect more deeply with the natural rhythms of the world. Nader Khalili, the founding architect of The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture (better known as Cal-Earth), had a similar vision when he first started working with earth in order to develop SuperAdobe construction.

12 years ago when Plenitud was only an idea, one of our best friends, Tim Carter (that we lovingly call by his nickname “Gopinatha”), had the heart to sell one of his most valuable possessions, a grand piano, to pay for plane tickets so Owen could…

When things fall apart, when our expectations of the world feel like a rug pulled out from underneath us, what can we do? Where do we find solid ground to stand on?

There are so many lessons to be learned, not only from the emergence of the pandemic itself, but also by our personal and community responses to what we are experiencing. Here at Plenitud our desire is to approach this time in our lives with a degree of openness to learning what we can from it right now—and to helping each other adapt to these changes in community.