SunCommon community raises $5K to help those in Puerto Rico

A group of Vermonters stepped up after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico's power grid. SunCommon customers raised about $5,000 of the almost $25,000 needed for a solar-powered trailer that allows people to charge electronic devices.

Volunteers offered whatever they could to help. One SunCommon volunteer said she had people from all over offering extra solar panels, cheap batteries and advice on how to get supplies to make the trailer for cheap.

At the end of the day, the volunteers say their goal is to support the people on the island.

"I hope they feel love and community from far away and just know there are a lot of people from all over the world that are still thinking of them and thinking of the situation that they are in," SunCommon employee and volunteer Amber Lessard said.

Organizers aren't sure when they will ship the unit. When it's ready, they say it will go to New Hampshire to be put on a boat and sent to Puerto Rico.

Hurricane season in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean lasts until the end of November. If disaster strikes somewhere besides Puerto Rico, the units can be shipped to those impacted areas and give residents power.