5 Ways To Help In The Aftermath Of Sandy

Thanks to a lot of hard work and cooperation among many groups, a good deal of NYC is on the road to recovery from Sandy. While this is great news, we must not forget those who have been less fortunate—many people, particularly in the Rockaways and Staten Island, are still suffering from the storm’s massive devastation. BORO has compiled a list of ways that you can help your fellow New Yorkers during these monumentally difficult and life-changing times. If you have the time, physical capability, and willingness to volunteer, we commend you; however, even if you can’t do so at this time, there is plenty you can do to help those in need.

Photo From Staten Island Recovers Site

1. Sign Up With Astoria Recovers

BORO recently did a post on Astoria Recovers (astoria.recovers.org), and they continue to be a hugely valuable resource. The group is focusing most heavily on the Rockaways currently, but they are attentive to going wherever help is needed. They have organized donation centers in Astoria as well as rideshares to the Rockaways to clean basements and homes, cook and supply hot food, coordinate between shelters, etc. By signing up, you can get the latest on volunteer opportunities as well as donation centers and what items are most necessary. You can also follow them on Facebook.

Astoria Recovers Volunteers Sorting Donations In The Rockaways

2. Make A Purchase From The Amazon.com Registry

Occupy Sandy has created a ‘wedding registry’ on Amazon.com (view it here) so that anyone in the world can help by purchasing and sending items that are critical to the recovery effort. They ask that items be shipped (expedited shipping) to The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, where a team of volunteers organizes and delivers the items to priority areas. The registry is updated as the team gets info on what is needed. This is a great way to donate without having to go to a specific center, and if you have family or friends in other parts of the country/world who want to support affected New Yorkers, send this link to them: http://www.amazon.com/registry/wedding/32TAA123PJR42

3. Donate Items Or Money

The list of local businesses accepting donations is constantly changing, but LIC Market (21-52 44th Dr, LIC) has been consistently collecting items for those in need. Today, Monday 11/5, they are accepting donations until 3:30 PM. Please be sure to check their website or Facebook page to see what items they are currently requesting. LIC Market has also been asking for volunteer drivers to transport items, so if you have a vehicle with gas, be on the lookout for these opportunities.

Donated Supplies At LIC Market

The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance was one of the first organizations to help those affected by Sandy by providing food and clothing. An online donation will help them in continuing to support the community.

Breezy Point is one of the neighborhoods most drastically affected by Sandy. Fallen power lines during the storm created a fire that burned down up to 100 homes. The Breezy Point Cooperative is asking for monetary donations to help rebuild homes and the neighborhood itself. They have already raised over $45,000, and their goal is to get to $500,000 within the next 86 days. Donate to Breezy Point here.

The Devastation In Breezy Point

4. Stay Informed & Updated

As electricity and communications continue to get restored, organizations find out about areas in need that may not have been able to ask for help earlier. This means volunteers and donated items will be requested in a wide range of areas in the coming weeks. Stay on top of this information, help if you are able, and share the updates with others so that the effort to help everyone recover stays as strong and inspiring as it has been over the past week.

Some resources that BORO recommends include @SandyVolunteer on Twitter, an account that gave live updates throughout the storm and now tweets about volunteer opportunities and requested donations large and small. If you aren’t much for Twitter, you can also get on their email list by sending an email to thesafetynetinitiative@gmail.com.

Occupy Sandy, a grassroots group whose efficiency, as The New Yorker pointed out, is largely attributable to the fact that it does not have to adhere to as many strict guidelines as The Red Cross and other official organizations, also has a very useful Twitter (@OccupySandy) and Facebook page. These include on-the-ground updates as well as volunteer opportunities and donation drop-off locations.

An Interoccupy site acts as “a coordinated relief effort to help distribute resources & volunteers to help neighborhoods and people affected by Hurricane Sandy.”

Finally, in the same vein as the Astoria Recovers website, there are groups for Red Hook Recovers, Staten Island Recovers, and Lower East Side Recovers.

Photo From Red Hook Recovers Site

5. Eat At The Queens Kickshaw On Thursday

This one is the easiest (and tastiest) of all! This Thursday 11/8, The Queens Kickshaw is donating 100% of their profits to The Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Come by anytime from 7:30AM-1AM and enjoy renowned coffee, locally brewed kombucha, artisanal grilled cheeses, and more, knowing that the money you spend will help your fellow New Yorkers in need.

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The Queens Kickshaw
40-17 Broadway, Astoria
718-777-0913
www.thequeenskickshaw.com