How to Help: Post-Sandy relief efforts

When you grow up on the Gulf Coast, hurricanes are something you anticipate each year. You stock your house with flashlights and water and you have a full set of plywood window covers ready to go in your garage. You know where you'll go in case of evacuations. I certainly saw my fair share of hurricanes growing up in coastal Texas and it was something we prepared for each season.

But when you live on the East Coast, you don't typically worry about hurricanes becoming a huge threat. You can't imagine the subway tunnels filled track to ceiling with water or 100 houses in Queens burning to the ground or people sitting on their roofs in Staten Island waiting to be rescued. You can't picture people rowing inflatable boats through the streets of Hoboken or chunks of the Atlantic City boardwalk floating away. But that's the situation here, and it's awful.

photo by Hollywood Reporter 

Flood waters are receding in most areas, but the gas stations have essentially run dry, bus lines wrap for an hour around the street corner and subways do not extend lower than 34th street. I haven't been able to return to my job in downtown Manhattan as my office is still without power and there is no transportation to get me or my clients there.

photo by Washington Post

We have been almost unbelievably lucky here in Astoria, where we never even lost power. It is an incredibly odd and humbling sensation to be sitting comfortably at home while neighbors less than 20 or 30 minutes away continue to be without heat, electricity or water. 

Facebook friends have been posting information on how to help those who didn't fare well in the storm and I wanted to share that here: 

*If you are interested in volunteering to help, Email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov and give them your name, email address and what borough you live in and they will contact you as soon as they have volunteer efforts coordinated.


* For locals: There are several drop-off points to donate food and clothing for people in hard-hit Breezy Point, Coney Island and the Rockaways.

Assemblyman Mike Miller's office: 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd, Woodhaven (contact Dorie Opitz Powers Figliola) 718-805-0950

Senator Joe Addabbo's office: 66-85 73rd Place, Middle Village (contact Alex Maureau) 718-497-1630

Cook's Crafts: 80-09 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale. 718-366-6085 (Contact Michelle Cook Lopez)

Excalibur Reading Program-80-17-78th Ave. Glendale. 347-725-4218 (Contact Angelica Harris)

*Thanks to friends Dennis, Kathy, Kerri and Bridget for the volunteer/relief information.