Hurricane Sandy #2
NOTE: Yes, I am from Staten Island, New York. The very Staten Island being mentioned on every news channel and paper as a victim of Hurricane Sandy's damage. Luckily, my family was safe and sound and we didn't suffer any damage- just power loss for a few days. Unfortunately, a lot of our friends and loved ones did lose a lot. Please comment below with your email, message me on Facebook, or let me know somehow if you are interested in donating or volunteering with the relief efforts.
"Oh we will survive without it, there is probably somebody else that needs it more!" was the trending statement of the day on Staten Island's Midland Beach on Sunday, November 4th.
My dad and I were at a donation center in Midland Beach helping sort donations as they came in. Once we had enough, we loaded up the van with some food items, clothing, supplies, batteries, flashlights, blankets, hats and gloves and drove to affected areas to give out supplies. Luckily, my dad had waited a mere 2 hours for gas (yes, that is relatively short compared to some of the other wait times at gas pumps) the night before so we were all ready to go!
That is one of the biggest issues I have observed of Hurricane Relief efforts- getting the supplies where they need to go. Shelters and centers have tons of donations, but the people that need them usually do not have the means to come and get them. That's where we come in! With gas and a van, we were able to drive around Midland Beach and hand out supplies to families.
This was so rewarding and challenging. I had just come back to Staten Island from college and was just witnessing the damage firsthand. Houses had been tipped over, demolished, mutilated, removed from their foundations. Some areas were still flooded. Piles and piles of garbage, wreckage, and ruined wood and furniture covered the streets. And this was after 5 days of cleaning and rebuilding. It's not that we as a city were ineffective, it was just such a large project, that it took so much time and energy to accomplish.
Families were so grateful and caring. They truly believed that because they were alive they were considered lucky and most didn't really think they to be helped. They thought we could better serve our time helping "somebody who needs it more." But it's hard to say no to a persistent volunteer and a whole new pack of batteries and cleaning supplies. They were so humble and resourceful in their pickings that we would have to convince them that it was okay to take both a pack of paper towels and a box of tissues.
I remember my dad and I squeezing into dead end streets and meeting people who were being skipped by many volunteers because of their inopportune locations- their incredulous gratitude was so memorable.
As we were driving around, we saw some amazing things: volunteers in boots and gloves just walking door to door and offering their manual labor, families carrying cups of coffee and bagels to give out to victims as they stood out in the chill, trying to salvage their basements and houses. There was so much spirit and community that day. It was so powerful and such a life-changing experience. Volunteers of all ages and types coming together to rebuild a community is such a beautiful thought and such a vividly stunning reality on Staten Island. It's amazing if you actually think about it: business that have lost a full week's worth of profits are still giving back to the community by donating free food and supplies to victims that were affected by Sandy! It is so inspiring to see that there is so much good in our community!
It was unreal to see the National Guard and army trucks crawling through the streets. It gave everyone so much pride in our community and hope for the future. Mixed in were troves of orange clad people running to houses- they were none other than the New York Runners. There were so many volunteers from all over the state, country and world, just doing whatever little they would to make an impact.
As much as I want New York and Staten Island to go back to normal, I was not supportive of the decision to hold the New York Marathon and was proud that it had been postponed to a much later date. In the face of a tragedy, our community has to come together and become strong to become normal, not put up a front for a day and then go back to rebuilding tomorrow. And being able to volunteer with many of the would-be-marathoners was pretty fun! We even took one aboard the van with us and he stuck with us for the rest of the day, helping run supplies from our van to the houses!
There is a great Facebook page that fostered the movement to have the marathoners instead run with donations on Staten Island:
https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkRunnersInSupportOfStatenIsland
It was so unreal to see the damage first hand and speak with victims who had swam to safety, waited on rooftops for safety, saved a life, lost a loved one, etc. It was hard, but so so so rewarding to be able to help them and give back in the slightest.
The gas lines are still long, the damage still there, the wounds still fresh, but the spirit was stronger than ever. I am still in awe of the optimism, perseverance, courage, and hope that Staten Island possesses. I am so proud to call myself a true Staten Islander.
"To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for."
-Henry Van Dyke
-Shelley
