Of course there is the Red Cross and the other larger organizations we all know about. If you are looking for a group that is already working day and night right in their community to help their community: clean up, receive food, provisions and address the evolving needs, since Hurricane Sandy hit – please consider donating to Red Hook Initiatives. Your dollars will be put to good use! ( We will add to the list, recommendations welcome).
http://www.rhicenter.org/donate.html
HURRICANE RECOVERY:
Red Hook Initiatives
As many of you know, Red Hook, Brooklyn is one of New York’s communities most devastated by Hurricane Sandy. In response to its impacts, The Red Hook Initiative immediately diverted its efforts to serve as a de facto center for local relief and support efforts – especially for the 5,000 public housing residents without power or heat but also for local residents and small businesses whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by this storm – so many of whom have supported our efforts in the past.
We are currently providing emergency supplies, serving hot meals, providing access to power and communications, helping to provide information and access to necessary services, and coordinating community volunteer efforts. The situation is very much in flux and we expect to adjust our role to respond to evolving needs; meanwhile, all donations received at this time will go to support these and similar efforts. Thank you for your support – we will keep you updated on the progress.
We are currently providing emergency supplies, serving hot meals, providing access to power and communications, helping to provide information and access to necessary services, and coordinating community volunteer efforts. The situation is very much in flux and we expect to adjust our role to respond to evolving needs; meanwhile, all donations received at this time will go to support these and similar efforts. Thank you for your support – we will keep you updated on the progress.
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On Monday night, October 29th, Hurricane Sandy came roaring through the Lower East Side / East Village in Manhattan.
Avenue C turned into a river, pushing cars around, flooding basement and ground floor apartments. Bars, restaurants and small ‘Mom and Pop’ shops lost their entire inventory and much of their equipment. On Avenue D, many families living in NYC Housing Authority high-rise buildings were forced to relocate, doubling and tripling up with relatives and friends in other boroughs. Those who could not evacuate – the elderly and infirm – were trapped in homes with no power or water for four days.
All of the families of Lower Eastside Girls Club members have been impacted by this disaster. Without electricity for four days,
everything in their refrigerators has spoiled and needs to be replaced. Those living on lower floors also need to replace flood soaked furniture and clothing.
But perhaps the greatest loss, the unseen loss, has been in wages. The parents of our girls are day workers, nurses aides, deli countermen, and retail clerks. With no subways to get to work this week, they are facing diminished paychecks. It is these ‘little things’ that can really set a family back: needing to restock the fridge, not being able to pay the cell phone bill, or buy your child those new winter boots (they grow so fast).
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- CASH
Please help the Lower Eastside Girls Club assist our families weather this storm with a gift of cash. Whatever you can donate will be given directly to Girls Club families in the form of mini “get back on your feet and fill the fridge” grants.
An anonymous donor has generously offered to match any contribution dollar for dollar up to $5000, so your $1 = $2! Our goal is to raise (and re-grant) $10,000 in the coming week!
- FOOD Non-perishable food donations are also needed and being accepted at 2 locations through Wednesday.
+ Make donations directly at the Girls Club on Saturday November 3, Monday November 5 – Wednesday November 7 between 11am – 6pm
56 East 1st Street
+ Parlor Showroom is hosting a food drive to support the Girls Club on Wednesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 8
7 Mercer Street (at Howard), 2nd floor in Soho
7 Mercer Street (at Howard), 2nd floor in Soho
Please stay tuned for updates. Thank you for your support!
-The Lower Eastside Girls Club