Cherry Hill salon owner to receive humanitarian award for helping Puerto Rico hurricane victims
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- Many are now rallying in support of Puerto Rico as it begins the long process of recovery from Fiona's devastation. It's a mission one South Jersey woman knows all-too-well.
Wanda Mora will be honored at Philadelphia's very first Latino Met Gala. She turned devastating loss into a passion for disaster relief.
"For me Hispanic Heritage month – the mission, why we created this was to give back and also support each other," Hector Serrano, the founder of Boricua Restaurant said.
Serrano is one of the organizers of the Latino Met Gala. He feels passionate about giving back.
"I would never dream that a Puerto Rican kid from the neighborhood or from the hood would 43 years later be surrounded by successful Hispanics," Serrano said.
Mora, a salon owner in Cherry Hill, will receive the Gala's humanitarian award. She's recognized for her work in helping hurricane victims in Puerto Rico -– support that she provides every year.
For her, helping others speaks to her heart after losing her own father during Hurricane Maria in 2017.
"That was my inspiration to spearhead a nonprofit organization to collect funds and provisions to take to Puerto Rico," Mora said. "We did collect over $400,000 in provisions and money. We took four, 55 foot containers of provisions to Puerto Rico and we did go door-to-door handing them out."
Serrano says that her passion to give back is what sets her apart.
"She didn't do it for the recognition," Serrano said. "She did it because the people on the island of Puerto Rico needed it."
Mora says that she is grateful and the recognition came as a complete surprise.
"I was thrilled, I didn't expect it," Mora said.
