Hurricane Sandy has wrecked havoc on our beloved New York City. Although the storm is over, it is going to take everyone coming together to rebuild our great city. We can all contribute something in regards to relief efforts. Whether your family is looking for places to donate your time volunteering, money, blood, food or products, this list has a little something for everyone.
Brooklyn
1. Find local opportunities to volunteer at Do Good Right Here (an Initiative of the Brooklyn Community Foundation).
2. Volunteer, donate goods and find other ways to help with Brokelyn’s wonderful, constantly updated guide to volunteering and other ways to help with Sandy recovery.
Manhattan
3. The Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV) is leading a relief effort in Chinatown. They need donations (financial, food and supplies) and volunteers.
Multiple Boroughs
4. Aidmatrix Network – New York City needs financial donations, (large volume) product donations and volunteers.
5. The New York Blood Center’s Blood Drive Locator shares where you can donate blood.
6. The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City needs financial donations.
7. Recovers.org (a community powered disaster recovery effort) currently has outstanding projects for The Lower East Side (Manhattan), Red Hood (Brooklyn), Staten Island and Astoria (Queens). They need financial and item donations as well as volunteers. **Please note that this is not an official charity.
8. Occupy Sandy Relief is “a coalition of people & organizations who are dedicated to implementing aid and establishing hubs for neighborhood resource distribution. Members of this coalition are from Occupy Wall Street, 350.org, recovers.org and interoccupy.net”. They are accepting financial donations; specific items needed at relief sites (blankets, candles, flashlights, batteries, water, food, socks, towels, printer paper, baby items, diapers and pet food) and volunteers. **Please note that this is not an official charity.
9. NY1.com has a great list of ways to help the Sandy relief effort in NYC. It includes places where you can donate and places that need volunteers.
10. WNYC has a great list of ways to help with Hurricane Sandy recovery by borough. Donations and volunteering possibilities are highlighted.
11. UJA-Federation of New York’s Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund needs financial donations.
12. Hope for New York shares needs and volunteer opportunities. They have a great list of local “urgent needs”.
13. Time Out New York has compiled a great resource list for how to help in NYC after the hurricane. Opportunities to donate time, blood, clothing, food and money are included.
14. New York Cares needs volunteer for general relief response.
15. NYC Service connects volunteers with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
16. The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation needs volunteer to aid in clean up and recovery of New York City’s parks and playgrounds that were impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
17. The Food Bank for New York City needs volunteers to help out as well as financial donations.
18. Park Slope Parents is constantly updating this helpful guide to volunteering and other ways to help after Sandy. (Updates are not limited to Park Slope/Brooklyn.)
National Charities (with local NYC relief efforts)
19. The American Red Cross needs blood donations and financial donations.
20. The Salvation Army needs financial donations.
21. Catholic Charities USA needs financial donations.
22. The Jewish Federations of North America’s JFNA Hurricane Relief Fund needs financial donations.
23. The Humane Society of the United States’ Disaster Relief Fund is a great place for pet lovers to donate financially.
24. AmeriCares Disaster Relief Fund needs financial donations.
25. The United Way’s Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund needs financial donations.
26. World Vision’s U.S. Disaster Response Fund needs financial donations.
27. The Huffington Post is also collecting and sharing volunteer opportunities for Sandy relief and constantly updating their site. Volunteering, donating goods and other ways to help are included.
Queens
28. Queens NYC has a good list of donation and volunteer centers around Queens.
29. Queens Mamas has compiled a list of locations in Queens that accept food, water and clothing donations. (Be certain to do a google search of the locations and call ahead to get specifics regarding what they are accepting and when volunteers will be available to receive the donated items.)
Staten Island
30. Tunnels to Towers Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund needs financial donations. (Staten Island was hit very badly by Hurricane Sandy!) Tunnels to Towers, an organization founded in memory of SI firefighter Stephen Siller, will administer the fund.
If none of these options appeal to you, consider providing food, shelter and supplies to family, friends and neighbors who are in need. Even if you don’t personally know anyone who has suffered loss, I am pretty certain that someone within your circle of family and friends can connect you with someone. Let’s do what New Yorkers do best…come together to survive!
If you are aware of any other volunteer or donation (financial, services or goods) opportunities geared towards NYC Hurricane Sandy relief, please feel free to share them below. Thanks!