Hershey Medical Center nurse joins 200 union members in Puerto Rico

Justin Jacobeen, a nurse from Penn State Hershey Medical Center, left Wednesday to join 200 first responders and volunteers to help with the rebuilding of Puerto Rico.

“I got an email from my local and thought I’ll reply, but it won’t actually happen. I sent it to my manager, who said 'GO!' This is my first time stepping up with SEIU since I’m a pretty new member,” said Jacobeen.

According to a release sent by Movement Communications, The SEIU Healthcare nurse will be spending two weeks with other volunteers in Puerto Rico, and will be coordinating with the Puerto Rico American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the city of San Juan.

The volunteers are expected to help clear road blockages, service hospital patients, deliver emergency supplies, and restore power and communications.

Jacobeen will be staying with the other volunteers in dormitory style housing with cots in the San Juan Coliseum. It is unclear whether the communication infrastructure on the island will be up and running, but the release stated that volunteers will do their best to send updates during the next two weeks.

“I am able to travel and take part, but it’s not just me helping," said Jacobeen, "Other team members here are stepping up and picking up my shifts. I’m the body that’s going down, but my coworkers and fellow union members are stepping up, too. Because we’re a unit and a team."

The volunteers will return to Newark on October 18.