Cleaning up Sunny's in Red Hook on Wednesday. Photo: BB
Many of you are asking how you can help your Sandy-afflicted neighbors via Twitter and Facebook. We have a few updates for you.
-This Google map of places and times to volunteer and to donate is very, very comprehensive.
-The Meat Hook and the Brooklyn Kitchen are collecting items for the Rockaways. IN HIGHEST DEMAND: shovels, contractor bags, trash bags, gasoline, toiletries, canned goods and can openers, nonperishable food, winter clothing, jackets, gloves, hats, socks, boots, blankets and towels. ALSO: plates, cups, bowls, utensils, cleaning Supplies, brooms, mops, sponges, water. Bring items to 100 Frost by 8pm on Friday.
-A group of folks are accepting donations at The Drink Thursday night, and will then head to Brighton Beach Friday to deliver them to high rises that they know to be full of elderly residents who are trapped there with no power. Here are the details; things they need include: sandwich makings, water, protein bars, instant coffee, ziplock bags, blankets, paper towels, tampons, baby wipes, anti-bacterial soap, tarps/heavy plastic, rubber gloves and trash bags.
–Red Hook Recovers is the best spot to stay on top of what that neighborhood needs. There are opportunities to cook, donate food and other items, and to help clean-up efforts. The B61 bus IS back up and running.
-This Facebook page, Clean Up Sheepshead Bay, has daily volunteer opportunities.
-For the Rockaways, we just got this message on Facebook:
FOLKS: If you’d like to help out the folks in Far Rockaway (PLEASE remember that one of NYC’s largest public housing buildings is there, with a lot of elderly and low-income residents, and they are in SERIOUS NEED) here’s an update. I know all of us have coats that don’t fit anymore, or an extra pair of socks or winter hats!:
Many drop off locations if you would like to help those devastated. In addition to the staples (food, clothing, water, blankets, batteries, formula, diapers, wipes, etc.) we are hearing that people are also in need of heavy duty garbage bags, shovels and gloves for the clean up efforts. Generators and pumps are also in short supply so if anyone has access to any (or knows someone who does) people could really use the help getting rid of the water.
St. Francis de Sales church in Far Rockaway will be a place to give and get supplies like clothing and toiletries. There are a bunch of bags of clothes nearby and more on the way. Also, wanted to share some bars that are accepting donations and acting as drop-off centers. They are:Park Ave. Tavern, 39th & Park, Manhattan
Good Co., 10 Hope Street, Williamsburg
Pour House, 7901 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge
Mullanes, S. Elliot & Lafayette, Fort Greene
Sean James Aiken, 118 Freeman St. b/t Manhattan & Franklin, Greenpoint (not a bar, just a house I think.)
-A volunteer from the evacuation center at Brooklyn Tech reports that they, and the Park Slope Armory, both need volunteers to come help entertain evacuees, to keep them company and to donate books, puzzles, crosswords, games. Many of these folks are elderly or developmentally disabled, scared and bored. Here’s the full text of the post on Facebook:
The evacuation center at Brooklyn Tech in Ft. Greene (29 Fort Greene Pl.) is urgently requesting activities & supplies to keep evacuees occupied. There seem to be plenty of volunteers around the clock for meal service & other needed tasks, but as of this morning there was very little for people to do except pace up & down the hallways or try to sleep. The evacuees are mostly elderly & developmentally disabled people from homes in Rockaway, & many are very upset, confused, or just plain bored. The nursing staff is stretched extremely thin & is asking people to come TODAY with playing cards, board games, crossword puzzles, magazines, art supplies, etc. **If anyone has a projector, DVD player, & DVDs you can bring to do a movie screening, that would be especially appreciated.** A radio would also be very welcome, since people in the building (including staff) currently have no steady access to the news. Also, if you can lead people in stretching, yoga, dance, or arts & crafts activities, please check in with the volunteer coordinators to see whether there’s interest.
Below is a list of supplies being requested. Once again, if you can come TODAY, that would be great. They’re hoping to be able to start taking folks home in the next day or two (although when that will actually be possible is anyone’s guess), but it would be great if the situation could be made a little less stressful in the meantime.
Other evacuation centers (the Park Slope Armory, for example) are likely facing a similar need, so please check in elsewhere if there’s another shelter closer to you.” Here’s a list of all the shelters: http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2012/hurricane_shelters.html
