Sandy Relief Information in NY, NJ and CT
Posted by Cheryl Warren
on Nov 6, 2012
More Sandy Relief information - this is the information from NY, NJ, and CT Districts that I tried to share below...
This just in (via DG Melissa Ward) from DG Bonnie Sirower (NJ) - it's truly heart breaking
Dear Rotarians and other Friends…
A week after the storm, things are slowly starting to return to what is now taken for normal. But we have another nor'easter that will hit our region tomorrow, bringing with it wet snow, heavy winds and flooding. We all fear that any progress made thus far will be undone by this new storm.
At a District 7490 Staff meeting last night that 75 District Staff, club Presidents and members attended, DG Joan Vas of District 7500 (Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington Counties), DG John Andrews of District 7460 (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties) and Matts Ingemanson, DGE from District 7230 (Manhattan, Staten Island, Westchester, Bronx and Bermuda) all gave reports on their districts.
Joan reported on the devastation that hit her district, with many towns washed away, including the iconoclastic Seaside Heights Amusement Park. People are without homes or infra-structure. Many roads were washed away. Even government buildings have been washed away. John Andrews told us that Brigantine was pretty much wiped off the map, and that there were 3,000 refugees from the storm stranded in shelters in Atlantic City. Matts talked about the despair on Staten Island, where homes were swept away and 19 lives were lost. In my own District, the towns of Little Ferry, Moonachie and Carlstadt were totally inundated. The water came in so fast at 2 pm in the morning after a berm broke by the Hackensack River that even emergency personnel had to be rescued.
About 40% of us (this author included) still have no power, and there are very LONG gasoline lines, as deliveries cannot get through and many gas stations have no power.
As Rotarians, we are participating in VOAD, the Volunteer Organizations Aiding in Disasters. This group is holding a daily conference call so that we can all coordinate our efforts to provide supplies and volunteers.
Where to bring donated items
We have established three warehouses in our District to which donors from all over may bring supplies.
This just in (via DG Melissa Ward) from DG Bonnie Sirower (NJ) - it's truly heart breaking
Dear Rotarians and other Friends…
A week after the storm, things are slowly starting to return to what is now taken for normal. But we have another nor'easter that will hit our region tomorrow, bringing with it wet snow, heavy winds and flooding. We all fear that any progress made thus far will be undone by this new storm.
At a District 7490 Staff meeting last night that 75 District Staff, club Presidents and members attended, DG Joan Vas of District 7500 (Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington Counties), DG John Andrews of District 7460 (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Gloucester Counties) and Matts Ingemanson, DGE from District 7230 (Manhattan, Staten Island, Westchester, Bronx and Bermuda) all gave reports on their districts.
Joan reported on the devastation that hit her district, with many towns washed away, including the iconoclastic Seaside Heights Amusement Park. People are without homes or infra-structure. Many roads were washed away. Even government buildings have been washed away. John Andrews told us that Brigantine was pretty much wiped off the map, and that there were 3,000 refugees from the storm stranded in shelters in Atlantic City. Matts talked about the despair on Staten Island, where homes were swept away and 19 lives were lost. In my own District, the towns of Little Ferry, Moonachie and Carlstadt were totally inundated. The water came in so fast at 2 pm in the morning after a berm broke by the Hackensack River that even emergency personnel had to be rescued.
About 40% of us (this author included) still have no power, and there are very LONG gasoline lines, as deliveries cannot get through and many gas stations have no power.
As Rotarians, we are participating in VOAD, the Volunteer Organizations Aiding in Disasters. This group is holding a daily conference call so that we can all coordinate our efforts to provide supplies and volunteers.
Where to bring donated items
We have established three warehouses in our District to which donors from all over may bring supplies.
BEST! Paramus, New Jersey 07652; Central Drop off for anything 799 Route 17 South (south of Linwood Avenue, before Ridgewood Ave) front door key box code 7490, site coordinator is Peter Wells 201-248-6643. This is just past Linwood Avenue, by the Capital One Bank
Wyckoff, New Jersey 07481; Extra Space (and tractor trailer drop off) 335 Braen Avenue entrance door lock code 42588 locker 3 door code 333, site coordinator is Andy Topp 201-410-0155
Rutherford, New Jersey 07070; Food only MFAC Warehouse 82 Park Avenue, site coordinator is Calisto Bertin
We will sort and then deliver to a Rotarian, a Rotary Club or to a Relief Pick-up Location in our District, or once we have met these needs, to a center in one of the other six affected districts.
Please contact Peter Wells, our Disaster 7490 Chair, if you are sending a shipment.
Peter Raymond Wells Architects LLC
251 Park Avenue
Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656
tele / message201-573-1627
second line201-746-6843
fax 201-573-0657
cell201-248-6643
email peter@peterwellsarchitect.com
We need cash donations or especially gift cards to such stores as Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and ShopRite and other grocery stores. Money is probably most needed so that people can start rebuilding.
Please make your checks payable to the Rotary District 7490 Walter D. Head Foundation, and write Sandy Relief in the memo line. Send your check to Calisto Bertin, Bertin Engineering, 66 Glen Avenue, Glen Rock, New Jersey 07452. Send Gift Cards to Peter Wells, 251 Park Avenue, Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656. Cash gifts to this Foundation will be split evenly among the affected districts.
If you prefer to donate to one of the areas in District 7230 (Manhattan, Staten Island, Bronx), please use this information below:
Contributions can be sent to their "Staten Island Rotary Foundation" c/o John J. Amodio, 212 Woodbine Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314 with a notation on the check indicating "for SI victims of Hurricane Sandy."
Donations of food, clothing and other needed items can be coordinated through Chris Williams at williamseyeworks@aol.com.
You can also help the Rotary Club of Wall Street as it assists victims in lower Manhattan:
1. Contributions can be sent to its "Rotary Club of Wall Street, NY Foundation," 306 Gold Street, #12C, Brooklyn, NY 11201 with a notation on the check indicating "for SI victims of Hurricane Sandy."
2. Donations of food, clothing and other needed items can be coordinated through Jennie Lewis at jennielew@gmail.com
We are collecting;
· New Clothing (NO USED CLOTHING), Underwear, Socks, Coats, Sweaters, sweatpants and sweatshirts
· Heavy duty garbage bags
· New Blankets, Pillows, Bedding, Towels and Cots
· Cleaning supplies of all types - mops, brooms, pails, disinfectant, bleach, detergent
· Flash Light and Batteries, especially D batteries
· Work gloves
· Disposable diapers for babies of all sizes and Depends for senior citizens
· Non-perishable food items, especially Chunky soups, protein items; tuna fish or salmon, sardines, peanut butter, bread, stews, canned ravioli, and juices we need foods that don’t have to be heated. There is a tremendous need for food right now.
· Baby food of all types
· Pet food of all types
· Paper plates and cups
Volunteers
The Bergen County Volunteer Center has an intake form on website and has a system for referral of volunteers to specified project needs. That website is www.bergenvolunteers.org. The Volunteer Center is working closely with United Way affiliates and HandsOn affiliates to help meet needs across the state. Rowena Madden, Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, has implemented 1-800-jersey7 as a volunteer hotline staffed by Americorps members. If your Rotary or organization would like to volunteer, please call that number. At the beginning, we will also need volunteers to help with sorting donations at one of the three warehouses listed above; please contact Peter Wells if you would like to help with that.
Going Forward
We are starting to focus on long-term recovery, and each of the District Governors has been asked to come up with building projects in which Rotarians can participate. This will take a while to put together, as we must take care of our immediate needs. Please keep visiting www.nynjrotary.org and click on the Disaster Aid tab for updates. It is estimated that there are as many as 300,000 homes that will need to be rebuilt in the tri-State (NY, NJ, CT area).
Thank you for caring…
Bonnie Sirower, DG, District 7490, (Bergen, Passaic and Hudson Counties, NJ, 201-446-1814, Botzie@aol.com
Connie Gevinski, DG District 7260 (Suffolk County), 631-255-6119
Joan Vas, DG District 7500 (Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington County), joanvas@optonline.net, , 732-241-3947
John Andrews, DG District 7640 (Atlantic, Cape May, Gloucester and Camden Counties), 609-576-8353; ja2inoc@verizon.net
Greg Arcaro, DG District 7230 (Staten Island, Bronx, Manhattan), 914-5889-2090, garcaro@aol.com
Mario Moran, DG District 7250 (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau Counties, NY), 516-729-8164, mmn119@aol.com
Bonnie Sirower, District Governor 2012-13
Rotary District 7490
Bergen, Passaic & Hudson Counties, NJ, USA
(201) 446-1814
Botzie@aol.com
Wyckoff, New Jersey 07481; Extra Space (and tractor trailer drop off) 335 Braen Avenue entrance door lock code 42588 locker 3 door code 333, site coordinator is Andy Topp 201-410-0155
Rutherford, New Jersey 07070; Food only MFAC Warehouse 82 Park Avenue, site coordinator is Calisto Bertin
We will sort and then deliver to a Rotarian, a Rotary Club or to a Relief Pick-up Location in our District, or once we have met these needs, to a center in one of the other six affected districts.
Please contact Peter Wells, our Disaster 7490 Chair, if you are sending a shipment.
Peter Raymond Wells Architects LLC
251 Park Avenue
Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656
tele / message201-573-1627
second line201-746-6843
fax 201-573-0657
cell201-248-6643
email peter@peterwellsarchitect.com
We need cash donations or especially gift cards to such stores as Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and ShopRite and other grocery stores. Money is probably most needed so that people can start rebuilding.
Please make your checks payable to the Rotary District 7490 Walter D. Head Foundation, and write Sandy Relief in the memo line. Send your check to Calisto Bertin, Bertin Engineering, 66 Glen Avenue, Glen Rock, New Jersey 07452. Send Gift Cards to Peter Wells, 251 Park Avenue, Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656. Cash gifts to this Foundation will be split evenly among the affected districts.
If you prefer to donate to one of the areas in District 7230 (Manhattan, Staten Island, Bronx), please use this information below:
Contributions can be sent to their "Staten Island Rotary Foundation" c/o John J. Amodio, 212 Woodbine Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314 with a notation on the check indicating "for SI victims of Hurricane Sandy."
Donations of food, clothing and other needed items can be coordinated through Chris Williams at williamseyeworks@aol.com.
You can also help the Rotary Club of Wall Street as it assists victims in lower Manhattan:
1. Contributions can be sent to its "Rotary Club of Wall Street, NY Foundation," 306 Gold Street, #12C, Brooklyn, NY 11201 with a notation on the check indicating "for SI victims of Hurricane Sandy."
2. Donations of food, clothing and other needed items can be coordinated through Jennie Lewis at jennielew@gmail.com
We are collecting;
· New Clothing (NO USED CLOTHING), Underwear, Socks, Coats, Sweaters, sweatpants and sweatshirts
· Heavy duty garbage bags
· New Blankets, Pillows, Bedding, Towels and Cots
· Cleaning supplies of all types - mops, brooms, pails, disinfectant, bleach, detergent
· Flash Light and Batteries, especially D batteries
· Work gloves
· Disposable diapers for babies of all sizes and Depends for senior citizens
· Non-perishable food items, especially Chunky soups, protein items; tuna fish or salmon, sardines, peanut butter, bread, stews, canned ravioli, and juices we need foods that don’t have to be heated. There is a tremendous need for food right now.
· Baby food of all types
· Pet food of all types
· Paper plates and cups
Volunteers
The Bergen County Volunteer Center has an intake form on website and has a system for referral of volunteers to specified project needs. That website is www.bergenvolunteers.org. The Volunteer Center is working closely with United Way affiliates and HandsOn affiliates to help meet needs across the state. Rowena Madden, Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, has implemented 1-800-jersey7 as a volunteer hotline staffed by Americorps members. If your Rotary or organization would like to volunteer, please call that number. At the beginning, we will also need volunteers to help with sorting donations at one of the three warehouses listed above; please contact Peter Wells if you would like to help with that.
Going Forward
We are starting to focus on long-term recovery, and each of the District Governors has been asked to come up with building projects in which Rotarians can participate. This will take a while to put together, as we must take care of our immediate needs. Please keep visiting www.nynjrotary.org and click on the Disaster Aid tab for updates. It is estimated that there are as many as 300,000 homes that will need to be rebuilt in the tri-State (NY, NJ, CT area).
Thank you for caring…
Bonnie Sirower, DG, District 7490, (Bergen, Passaic and Hudson Counties, NJ, 201-446-1814, Botzie@aol.com
Connie Gevinski, DG District 7260 (Suffolk County), 631-255-6119
Joan Vas, DG District 7500 (Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington County), joanvas@optonline.net, , 732-241-3947
John Andrews, DG District 7640 (Atlantic, Cape May, Gloucester and Camden Counties), 609-576-8353; ja2inoc@verizon.net
Greg Arcaro, DG District 7230 (Staten Island, Bronx, Manhattan), 914-5889-2090, garcaro@aol.com
Mario Moran, DG District 7250 (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau Counties, NY), 516-729-8164, mmn119@aol.com
Bonnie Sirower, District Governor 2012-13
Rotary District 7490
Bergen, Passaic & Hudson Counties, NJ, USA
(201) 446-1814
Botzie@aol.com