The Need Is Real

Yesterday and today Will and I volunteered in hurricane Sandy relief efforts.  We had a full tank of gas and knew that was valuable asset here in a city with a serious gas shortage.

If anyone isn't sure- the need here is very very real.  I couldn't believe what I saw.  Saturday morning I went to a distribution center in Sunset Park, very near to where I work.  It was a grassroots relief effort- started and run by the occupy movement.  They were taking in tons of supplies but needed help getting the supplies out to the people in need in the Rockaways, Red Hook, and Staten Island.  I filled our little car to the brim- which is actually a lot of stuff- and then led a caravan out to the Rockaways.  We dropped off supplies at two locations.  Along the way I saw many of the things making the news- buildings destroyed by fire, cars on top of things like other cars, benches, road dividers, things on top of cars like pilings, and building parts.  There was sand and trash everywhere.  It was clear that clean-up was starting but there was a very long way to go.  The literal mountains of trash coming out of people's homes was shocking.  The debris everywhere was shocking.  I also transported people around after taking supplies- mass transit is trying, but it can't keep up with demand in it's damaged state.  After driving to and from the Rockaways and around Brooklyn abit to help people get where they needed to go and to and from Staten Island we still had well over 1/2 a tank.  It was so worth it to help.  I met a lot of really kind people and felt better for having a done a small something.

Will also helped out in the Rockaways- helping as the same organization worked to set up a new distribution center to reach even more of the damaged areas.

If you can help- help.  People really truly need it.  This disaster is going to be with NYC for a very long time and it isn't even clear how some areas will recover.  The organization we worked through is called redhookrecovers.org   They have a way to donate on-line.  The red-cross is also an great place to donate- always.

Of course- all the people we love have probably donated already, but I felt compelled to write and share our first hand account so that everyone understands- the need is real.