regarding relief efforts at Gowanus Houses, please call 347-806-6435. Contributions can be delivered to

Gowanus Community Center, 420 Baltic Street in Brooklyn and will be accepted until 6 p.m.

::: GOWANUS HOUSES SUPPORT – WED. 11/7 :::
Today, we’re expecting heavy rains and high winds. The NYC alerts we’ve received tell us to stay home or to find a nearest shelter.

The families in the Gowanus Houses buildings, especially seniors, the ill and the homebound that are STILL WITHOUT POWER, HEAT AND HOT WATER have no choice but to stay home. These are the people who rely on relief efforts to get food, water, blankets.

Since the City of New York is doing virtually NOTHING to help Gowanus residents, the family of donors, volunteers, community organizations and faith based organizations have become their life line.

Yesterday, we struggled greatly to provide relief to Gowanus residents who are angry, hurt and frustrated that they are not getting the support or communications needed by city, state and federal agencies about further disaster assistance.

On day five, we can not stay in our warm homes, with access to refrigerated food and the ability to come and go as we please…or as we need.

On day five, we will practice self-determination and community-building. We will practice movement building.

Our goals:
1. Get families enough food, water and other supplies to last three days
2. Make sure that sick residents have enough medication and see medical personnel by the end of the day
3. Get residents connected to the appropriate agencies that can provide further disaster relief.

:::VOLUNTEER:::
We need about 20 volunteers for door-knocking, distribute food and complete food/water/supply deliveries to our families as well as make assessments of the medical needs of elders, sick and home-bound residents.

Volunteers are being asked to meet at the center (see address below) at 12 p.m. If you are interested in serving as an outreach coordinator and if you can help bring in donations and package bags of food for families, please come at 11 a.m.

Outreach and distribution will go on until 6 p.m., weather permitting.

We also need help in the evening, when we tend to have less volunteers, to deliver hot food to home-bound residents between 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We would need 10 volunteers to get this done. If you can do evening hours, please check this page or FUREE’s web page for an update.

:::DONATE:::
We need food! We need supplies! We need your help!

Please donate as much as you can; no donation is ever too small! Please give only what is on the list so we don’t have an excess of food and supplies that we can’t move:

– Baby food (vegetarian, with meat/chicken, fruit, cereal stages 1, 2, 3)
– Water
– Evaporated, powdered and regular milk (1/2 gal. or smaller)
– Soy milk
– Pediasure
– Ensure
– Glucerna
– Ready made formula (with iron, regular/soy/sensitive)
– Canned goods (beans, vegetables, tomato sauce, soups, tuna fish, sardines, vienna sausages)
– Protein/granola/cereal/fruit bars
– Apple Sauce
– Diapers (newborn, sizes 1, 4 and 6)
– Toddler training pants (sizes 4+)
– Flashlights
– Batteries (especially C and D)
– Candles/Flashlights
– Peanut butter
– Sliced bread
– Fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc)
– Disposable hand warmers
– Gloves
– Socks
– Dry Ice (we have none and already, some residents’ insulin have gone bad.)

Goods can be delivered between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to the address listed below.

Please DO NOT BRING clothing and blankets.

We also need cash contributions so we can purchase what is needed and to support this relief work at Gowanus Houses.
To donate online, visit http://furee.org/donate or make checks payable to FUREE. Indicate if you are donating for relief efforts or to support FUREE’s overall work in the memo/notes sections.

::: CONNECT RESIDENTS TO SERVICES :::
Our friends from South Brooklyn Legal Services will be on site and visiting residents to apply for FEMA assistance and other assistance.

We will also have medical personnel from the NYU Medical Center to check in on the sick and homebound and to make sure that residents have their needed medication.

Volunteers are needed to alert residents of these FREE services and to help pick up prescriptions from local pharmacies to deliver to residents.

LOCATION:
Gowanus Community Center, 420 Baltic Street in Brooklyn

To sign up, please send e-mail to valery[at]furee[dot]org or lucas[at]furee.org

Again, thank you all for support!