While it's been a month since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the devastation and despair on the island resembles the day after a hurricane. Entire communities were upended and left cut off from the rest of the world. People are without basic necessities and are being forced to live in the classrooms of schools because they are without homes. Why isn't this being blasted from every news outlet in the country? These are our people, yet they're not getting nearly the amount of support they should be as a part of the United States.

Let's talk about what Puerto Rico needs right now.

1. Water.

Imagine not having enough water to drink or bathe in. This is the case for over a million Puerto Ricans, and many are resorting to drinking from contaminated, toxic wells.

2. Food.

Not only did they lose a majority of their crops in the storm, they don't have any food either. Many centers that house recovery food are running dry. Can you imagine walking miles to get to one of these centers and being told they don't have enough food to give to you?

3. Electricity.

The entirety of Puerto Rico's electrical infrastructure was decimated in the wake of the storm, and it's estimated that it will take at least six months to repair. But that's only after they get the materials. They need over five billion dollars for the repairs, and with Puerto Rico's already deep debt, it's going to be hard to find the funds without outside help.

4. Support from the rest of the United States.

Puerto Rico is an American territory. The 3.4 million people living on the island are American citizens. So why aren't they treated like such? There was constant media attention on Texas and Florida after Hurricane's Harvey and Irma. The mainland needs constant media reminders of the state of Puerto Rico because they are a part of our nation. They should get the same urgency as support as we give to any of our neighboring states.

Here are some ways you can donate to Puerto Rico relief efforts. Every penny helps.

https://www.unicefusa.org/donate/support-unicef-usas-hurricane-relief-efforts-puerto-rico/32952

http://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/hurricane-relief/hurricane-maria-relief-information#International-Response

https://secure.directrelief.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app261b?df_id=2105&mfc_pref=T&2105.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=A7AD6A19DBF10E2E23CBA6DB75F49855