My daughter in Brooklyn writes:
“I keep buying socks and dropping them at shelters, I keep texting donations to NYCares, I keep buying things off the Amazon Sandy Registry. Everyone I know has done something to help with Hurricane Relief Efforts but it is still not enough. How do we fix this? After watching twelve hours of snowfall today, this email that I got from my twins list serve is especially terrifying.”
Is there anyone who reads this that can help these families in Gerritsen Beach?
Kathy Ene writes, (on my daughters twin list) “As the temperature plunges and the snow falls the residents of Gerritsen Beach live in darkness and cold. Classified zone B this small community across the bay from Breezy Point was flooded out by the Hurricane. We have no power, heat, food or help. We need help to get our power restored. The 400 homes must have the electrical boxes removed and replaced by new boxes before power can be turned back on. There is a shortage of electrical boxes. A local electrician explained each job takes about 4 hours to complete. The city must approve the job when completed before the house can qualify to be turned on. We need 100 electricians. We need boxes. We need money. This is a working class neighborhood. Too many people have no money to pay for the work. I fear for the children most. Many are still in their homes in darkness with no heat. I am afraid something terrible will happen needlessly. There is no one down here coordinating a recovery effort. Can anyone put me in conact with concrete help – a politician that will deliver, a benefactor that will take charge? Thanks, Kathy Ene”
Surely there is a person in a network of someone who reads this blog who has a connection that can help this community. They need help now!
8:59 a.m. update – some things are happening, but if you know someone who can expedite anything, please get them in touch with Gerritsen Beach elected leaders, city leaders, state leaders, national leaders. As always, the poor suffer the most. This situation is continuing be dire even after days of coverage.