UPDATE–Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities with OccupySandy
We have been informed by OccupySandy that the volunteer effort scheduled for 520 Clinton Ave., Brooklyn, will be closed on November 22nd, Thanksgiving Day. All willing to generously contribute their time on Thanksgiving Day should go to St. Jacobi Church, located at 5406 4th Ave. (Sunset Park), Brooklyn, NY 11220. Please see additional information on this event at http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/locations/.
Thanks you and Happy Thanksgiving!
Every Thanksgiving, as we sit down with our loved ones, we reflect on all that we are grateful for in our lives. This year, the list may be longer as we recognize, post-Sandy, the importance of the conveniences we often take for granted: flushing toilets, running water, medical supplies, heat, and the juice to charge up our laptops and phones.
Thankfully, electricity has been restored to much of Staten Island, the Rockaways, and Hamilton Beach in Queens, but not for everyone–many are still displaced from their homes or waiting for vital services to be restored. Here are a few ways that you can lend a hand:
Volunteer for Thanksgiving
Occupy Sandy
If you would like to volunteer on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22nd, join #OccupySandy from 8 AM – 4 PM, no sign up is required! They will be working to provide hot meals at the Church of St. Luke & St, Matthew at 520 Clinton Ave in Brooklyn.
Coney Island Generation Gap
Coney Island remains one of the worst affected areas in New York City. CIGG has a goal of distributing 2,000 turkeys to residents of this area.
Please help Wednesday, November 21st by:
1) Donating turkeys at 2904 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224 from noon – 2pm;
2) Distributing turkeys from noon-3pm; OR
3) Dropping off warming/heating pads or blankets at above address.
For more info, contact Pamela Harris at kimosobbe@optonline.net or visit CIGG.
Transit Forward Coalition
Volunteers will be serving over 500 meals on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22nd to those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. For more info, please visit www.transitforward.org or email yetta@yettakurland.com.
For a general list of ways to help out in the five boroughs, please visit WNYC.
Attend a Happy Hour for Hurricane Relief
Join the New York State Senate Democratic Conference for Sandy Relief Happy Hour at Local 138, located at 138 Ludlow between Stanton and Rivington Streets, on Tuesday, November 20th from 7 to 9 PM. There will be $3 well drinks, wine, and beer.
Please bring any of the following donations to help the relief effort: canned food, cleaning supplies (brooms, mops, gloves, heavy garbage bags, bleach, cleaning sprays, paper towels, and sponges), flashlights and batteries, baby supplies (diapers, formula, and accessories), and medicines (cough medicine, BAND-AIDS, Neosporin, Ace bandages, Advil, Tylenol). Gift cards (for supermarkets, Home Depot, etc.) are also in high demand.
Email Deanna Bitetti for more info and RSVP on Facebook.
Sign our Petition
New Yorkers have provided food and hope to thousands in need, but our neighbors are still missing vitally important resources, including warm shelter and much-needed access to medical care. Please sign our petition currently featured on change.org so we can push our elected officials to demand resources for the 29,000 people, including families, who are still waiting for these necessary and life-saving supplies! It only takes two minutes to participate in something powerful, so please SIGN ON! More than 10,000 people have already signed on. Help us to make it 15,000.
And don’t forget to use your social media skills to encourage your friends and family to do the same. Check out the following tips:
Post articles, media, and images related to what’s going on in the Rockaways and link to the petition in those.
Tweet why you think this campaign is important. You can target your tweets to decision makers such as @DRichards13 (staffer to City Councilman Sander), @nycoem (NYC Office of Emergency Management), @NYGovCuomo, @MikeBloomberg, @FEMASandy, @BilldeBlasio (Public Advocate) or celebrities like Kelly Ripa. For example, “@kellyripa Thanks for raising $$ for storm survivors with no heat. We’re trying to protect them from hypothermia, will you help by RTing our petition? http://chn.ge/XMDUBD”
Assist with Community Clean Up in the Rockaways
Join Hurricane Sandy Clean-up Day this Sunday November 25th from 10am-4pm. Volunteers will be asked to do a variety of tasks including canvassing the neighborhood to assess need, cleaning up homes (may involve some heavy lifting), distributing food and cooking,
For more information and to RSVP please contact: Michelle Masone at mmasone@mwpclaw.com or 516-353-4239. There will be a bus leaving from Manhattan, so please email Deanna Bitetti or Jordan Reisner if you would like to reserve a space on the bus. Seating is limited.
Thank you for your continued commitment to change.
Aliya Quraishi and the Greater NYC for Change team