How We Can Help Hurricane Sandy Victims

The needs are huge. Families are displaced and although government and private industry are working around the clock to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, but many people need help right now and there are some great organizations that need our support to help the victims. Check them out and give what you can.

The American Red Cross The widespread damage by Hurricane Sandy just a few days ago left millions of families in the hard-hit regions without power, and thousands were forced to evacuate from their homes.

On the night Sandy made landfall, the American Red Cross responded immediately, with more than 250 shelters open across sixteen states that provided overnight stays to nearly 11,000 people. Sandy is a big and destructive storm, and the relief efforts for Sandy will be long and difficult. People will continue to need help for weeks, even months, to put their lives back together. Reports from ABC News say that many blood drives were cancelled due to the storm and now there is a need for donor blood in the NY NJ area.  The New York Blood Center is urging people to donate blood for those in the New York/New Jersey area. To donate, call 800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is currently serving Hurricane Sandy survivors and first responders in seven states with food, water, cleanup kits, emotional and spiritual care, and more. If you would like to support those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, please visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

The Salvation Army continues its feeding and sheltering activities in the most heavily impacted areas including New York and New Jersey where coastal devastation and flooding remain major issues.

West Virginia and Maryland are facing a different kind of disaster with record snowfalls leaving thousands without power.

Feeding America

As the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization, Feeding America is preparing to provide food, water and other supplies to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of pounds of supplies are already stationed near the anticipated disaster zone to make sure that those affected by the storm have immediate access to food and water.

Through a network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 food pantries, emergency shelters and soup kitchens,  Feeding America is able to reach into disaster affected communities with basic needs supplies including food, water and cleaning products. It is anticipated that the service areas of 25 to 35 Feeding America food banks could be adversely affected by the storm.

The organization has pre-staged emergency food supplies throughout the nation, including significant quantities of food and water at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside.

These provisions can be to quickly transport to food banks throughout the region as they are needed.

Save the Children

Save the Children will deploy emergency response teams today to coastal and northern New Jersey to assess the needs of children in areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm, which caused widespread destruction along the East Coast, displacing thousands from their homes and leaving millions without power.

“We as a nation have a moral obligation to protect the most vulnerable during disasters, our children. We have to do everything we can to minimize the negative and long-lasting effect these events can have on children and provide the support they need,” said Mark Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “That’s why Save the Children is deploying our emergency response teams to the hardest-hit areas of New Jersey to assess the needs of children and their families and ensure a quick recovery of essential services, such as child care.”

As Sandy approached, the Save the Children distributed advice to families for keeping children safe during the hurricane.

“Hurricane Sandy impacted millions of lives, forcing many families in high-risk areas to flee from their homes and seek safety in shelters. Here at Save the Children, we know from experience that children are always the most vulnerable in any emergency situation,” said Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s President and CEO. “Through our preparedness, response and recovery programs, we continue to put the unmet needs of children and their caregivers first.” DONATE to Save the Children

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hurricane Sandy has left a mess that will take some time to dig out of. So many heroic stories have been told and many more will come out of this tragedy.

I had worked with two of these charities in the past with stellar results.

I was asked to help as the Los Angeles Coordinator for Feed333’s campaign to feed, give toys and other essentials to kids all around the nation for Christmas. Feed333 had previously been on record for feeding more people in one day then any other national program.

I worked with the awesome staff at the Salvation Army in South Central Los Angeles and Larry Jones of Feed the Children showed up with 18, 18 wheeler trucks full of food and water.

We did not make them one meal, but gave each family enough food and essentials to last a week.

I can’t recall what the numbers were. I believe we fed around 4500 families so at an average of 4 members per family that should be around 18,000 people for a week? Don’t quote me on those numbers, but we also served similar numbers in Phoenix and San Francisco that day.

I was so thankful for their help and commitment and I know that right now someone who has been devastated is feeling just a bit better for one of these organizations help.

I first reported on Feeding America when I interviewed Samantha Harris formerly of Dancing with the Stars and recently with Stars Earn Strips, about her support of making sure hungry American kids were taken care of in our story Samantha Harris on Feeding Americas Hungry Children. This is another great organization that helps so many.

The American Red Cross. Everyone knows that you can count of the Red Cross to make sure that in times of need, people have food and shelter along with emergency medical treatments and so much more.

Again we salute all the organizations and individuals that are helping and you too for doing your part. – JW