Cooking is something Norma Rivera loves to do for her family. But during the pandemic, she began cooking for a lot more people so she could support her family.
What You Need To Know
- Thousands of Puerto Ricans fled to the United States mainland, many to Central Florida, after Maria, a catastrophic hurricane, forced many to leave the island in September 2017
- Five years later, many of those who came to the Orlando area are still working to adjust to their new life
- UCF’s Puerto Rican Research Hub says census data shows over 130,000 Puerto Ricans moved to the U.S. mainland after Hurricane Maria, including about 50,000 to Florida and many of those to Central Florida
When she couldn’t find other work, she began delivering meals to construction workers.
“I started cooking for them. I would wake up at three in the morning and started doing meals and I would deliver to them at like nine or ten in the morning or before because they eat early,” said Rivera.
Rivera remembers how she and her sons had to hunker down in her bathroom for hours when Maria ravaged through Puerto Rico. The sound of the wind still haunts her today.
“It wasn’t like a wind, it was more like a laugh, like an evil laugh, it was so terrifying,” said Rivera.
Rivera didn’t want to leave Puerto Rico, where she says neighbors are always like family.
But when it remained difficult to find any food or water, she made the move to Orlando with $35.
Along with cooking, she’s worked several jobs, working her way up from $8.50 an hour to now $17 an hour working for a call center. She keeps pushing herself to work harder and make more money so that eventually she can afford to buy a house. But she says she’s running into resistance.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been to a lot of places, and I’ve been treated like I’m not from here, so they don’t want to help me,” said Rivera. “So I don’t know if it’s because I don’t look like what they’re expecting, but at this point going to an office to get help is a little frustrating.”
Iglesias Episcopal Jesus de Nazareth is one place people like Rivera are getting help. The church is matching people who’ve fled to Central Florida from many places with skills to help them integrate into the workforce. One group is getting their community nursing certifications.
“Has been a really, really good thing for the community,” said Reverend Jose Rodriguez.
“But also knowing that people are getting actual jobs that meet needs, and help people be empowered to bring food to their tables and feed their families.”
Rivera says the church’s help with her language skills and career building advice has helped her get better-paying jobs she hopes will allow her to one day leave something for her sons.
“That’s my dream, having a house for them,” said Rivera. “That’s what I want. That’s what I’m working for.”