Hurricane Sandy: How You Can Help - Park Slope Civic Council

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Park Slope has opened its hearts and doors to people in need from across the borough. There are still many ways to help our Brooklyn neighbors who have been affected by the storm:

Visit the latest update here.

Updated Nov. 3

We’ve posted more ways you can come to Red Hook’s aid, in addition to the Red Hook Initiative below.

Also, from Park Slope Neighbors:

Here are two compilations of information about needs for donations and volunteer opportunities, from Brokelyn and Here’s Park Slope.

Five officers from the 78th Precinct and their families lost their homes and all their possessions to Sandy’s wrath. Many others lost power, but have left their families in the dark and cold to come to Park Slope and keep us safe. The 78th Precinct Community Council is asking you to help. The Council has set up a relief fund to help the homeless officers with immediate basic necessities including clothes and toiletries as well as future needs as the families rebuild their lives. Donations can be made payable to:

The 78th Precinct Community Council Relief Fund
c/o 78 Precinct Community Council
65 Sixth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217

You can drop off clothes, toiletries, gifts cards, etc at the 78 Precinct. The affected families consist of 10 adults (5 men, 5 women), a teenage boy and a 3 month old girl.

Local Shelters

In Park Slope, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the city’s Office of Emergency Management are operating two emergency shelters out of John Jay High School at 237 Seventh Ave., and the Park Slope Armory at 361 15th St.. Periodic announcements indicate that at any given time they may be in need of either supplies or volunteers or both. The John Jay location will have to be vacated on Monday as the school reopened to students.

We at the Park Slope Civic Council are working to establish a location for donation drop-offs to continue. Both sites also still need volunteers:

The Park Slope Armory needs volunteers who can work at least an eight-hour shift, even longer would be great. Shifts start at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.. If they have too many volunteers, you may be asked to try again another time, so be prepared for that.
Since this shelter opened, the Masbia soup kitchen has cooked hot meals for more than 500 evacuees from Adult Care Homes in flooded parts of the city. Please donate to help them further their effort, on their website.
The John Jay shelter needs overnight volunteers (especially, but not only, people with medical training). You need to be able to dedicate at least six to eight hours and cannot bring your children.

Park Slope Parents and the Old Stone House are collecting funds to purchase bulk supplies of underwear, socks, towels, water, ice, etc. for Brooklyn shelters and evacuees. Make your tax-deductible contribution here.

Red Hook

Our neighborhood next door, Red Hook, was especially hard hit by the storm. The Red Hook Initiative has been doing some outstanding work coordinating local recovery efforts.

Visit their website, www.rhicenter.org, to make a donation — all contributions received at this time will go to support supply distribution, serving hot meals, coordinating community volunteer efforts, and supporting Red Hook residents impacted by the hurricane.

The center is currently open 10-12 hours per day spearheading these efforts. Feel free to drop in at 767 Hicks Street or call them at (718) 858-6782.

Brooklyn Recovery Fund

The Brooklyn Community Foundation has launched a Brooklyn Recovery Fund (www.brooklynrecoveryfund.org) in coordination with the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. The fund will support the Brooklyn communities and organizations impacted by Hurricane Sandy and provide direct support for needs identified by local Brooklyn nonprofit service providers, the small business community, and borough civic institutions.

Your entire donation will be used to support storm recovery efforts in Brooklyn.

Prospect Park

Read our post on how you can assist in Prospect Park’s recovery.