Occupy Sandy has raised over $79,000 for people-powered disaster relief: click here to donate!
For the most up-to-date info on how to help, go to: http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/
In the aftermath of the worst climate change disaster in New York City history, organizers from Occupy Wall Street and 350.org have teamed up with to coordinate a people-powered relief effort for New York’s hardest hit neighborhoods. Beginning with the Lower East Side, Red Hook, Astoria and Staten Island, volunteer organizers are using the new site Recovers.org to connect offers of help with places of need.
The group has already launched a relief hub in Red Hook, in partnership with the Red Hook Initiative, to help coordinate donations of food and supplies and to cook meals for the over 5,000 residents of the Red Hook Houses housing project that are without electricity in the flooded neighborhood. An afternoon relief caravan will head out to the Rockaways, one of the hardest-hit areas of the city. This evening, members of the OWS Puppet Guild will be putting on free puppet shows for children in the Sunset Park and Red Hook neighborhoods.
“There is only one force more powerful than a storm like this, and that’s the power of people coming together to help their communities. We’ve been able to put together an amazing network of people in a short time who are providing the help our neighbors need, and building stronger, more resilient communities in the process through mutual aid. Thanks to climate change, this storm is unfortunately only the beginning of an increasing trend of natural disasters hitting large urban areas. We hope that we can provide a blueprint for how to generate a rapid response in the face of such emergencies. All power to the people,"said Lopi LaRoe, artist and Occupy organizer.
“Corporate power contributed to this disaster, and people-power will get us out of it. Without climate change, Sandy would not have been the storm it was. The fossil fuel corporations have wrecked our climate and now our homes, and it’s well past time for us to work together to fix this problem. Building a stronger movement that cares for each other is one of many steps we need to take in the coming years.”said Duncan Meisel of 350.org.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating supplies to the ‘Occupy Sandy’ effort, visit http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/.
Some of the most pressing needs for the effort are:
- Volunteers to administer Recovers.org pages and connect needs with offers for help, as well as volunteers with technical expertise (Best done from home)
- Volunteers who can be available in the coming weeks to continue cleanup efforts
- Pumps and electrical generators for blacked out and flooded homes
- Financial contributions to fund distribution efforts
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