Last week, I was SO worried when I heard Hurricane Sandy was expected to reek havoc in the North East. That's my home. I have family and friends all up and down the coast, so I was absolutely frightened for them. The forecasters where stressing that Sandy was going to be much worse than Hurricane Irene and to take it very seriously. My Grandparents live on Long Island, my Granny in NJ and my siblings in Eastern, PA and luckily they are all ok and the storm effects have been minimal (compared to others, who have not been as fortunate)! Every morning I've been watching the Today's Show and shutter at the thought of that much widespread damage. The clean up & rebuilding efforts will require billions of dollars. That's just insane. I'm thankful that a lot of large corporations like Kohl's, U-Haul, Walmart, The NFL(and many more) have donated millions of dollars to help rebuild and repair the areas effected. The NYC Marathon runners who were in town to run a marathon, instead spent yesterday cleaning up and helping those in places like Staten Island and downtown Manhattan. It has reminded me of all the people who helped in SO many ways when Joplin experienced similar devastation in May of 2011. Let's return the favor. Even though those communities are far away, someway or another these things effect us all, so I encourage you to donate to help the relief efforts! See the information below. Please & thank you! :-)
I hope you all are having a wonderful Monday and remember to vote tomorrow! And P.S. Please be kind to those who have different political views than you. :-)
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
-The Salvation Army, which is providing meals and shelter, is also accepting text donations. Text STORM to 80888 and $10 will be added to your cell phone bill. Online donations can be made at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by phone at 1-800-725-2729. (Source)
-If you're interested in Volunteering in New Jersey: individual or group volunteers can call the state’s volunteer emergency response hotline at 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397). If the hotline is disabled from the storm, volunteers can try one of two backup hotline numbers: 609-775-5236 or 908-303-0471. Volunteers may also send an email to rowena.madden@sos.state.nj.us. The hotline is managed by the New Jersey Business Action Center and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, both divisions in the New Jersey Department of State.
(Source)
-If you're interested in Volunteering in New York:
Mayor Bloomberg has activated the hurricane shelter system in New York and will be in need of trained volunteers. Help volunteers at evacuation shelters and after the storm. To learn more, email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov. (Source)
-World Vision- World Vision, a Christian humanitarian relief organization, is bringing necessary supplies, including food kits, hygiene kits, blankets and tarps, to those in need in New York City. Learn more here.
-New York Blood Center- The New York Blood Center is calling for donations to prevent any shortages after the storm hits. The organization is working with local hospitals to make sure it have adequate supply. The center needs at least 2,000 donations a day to maintain the center’s blood inventory. Learn more here.
-AmeriCares- AmeriCares is preparing to deliver relief supplies like medicine, first aid kits, cleaning products and flashlights to susceptible communities along the East Coast. It has reached out to 100 health clinics, food banks and other agencies and also have aid workers ready to help. In Haiti, the organization has already provided 300 family emergency kits and are prepared to deliver water, sanitation treatment, and medical supplies if need be. Learn more here. (Source)
Other organizations include (more info here): Feeding America, Operation USA, Direct Relief, Save The Children, Team Rubicon, International Medical Corps
