Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities affected by Hurricane Sandy and the recent nor’easter.
When a crisis takes place, our instinct is to immediately respond, and to extend a helping hand. Together, we can support those individuals and communities still in need of food, water and other necessities. The entire federal family continues to work alongside its many community partners, such as the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), and others to support states, communities and tribes in their ongoing response to Hurricane Sandy and the recent nor’easter.
To learn about more about how you can help the survivors of these events, please visit one of the websites below or visit the Corporation for National and Community Service at: http://www.serve.gov.
We thank each of you who through various nonprofit and private sector organizations and at every level of government, are working to help save lives, provide shelter, and rebuild communities.
For Those Who Want to Help
Volunteer
Affiliate with existing non-profit organizations before coming to the disaster area. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way.
Be patient: Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months, often years, after the disaster, especially when the community enters the long-term recovery period.
Learn more: Several state and local agencies will be looking for volunteers to help with the disaster recovery. Learn more about volunteering by visiting the links below.
ALL AREAS
The Corporation for National and Community Service is working
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
NEW YORK
New York Cares, New York City
Long Island Volunteer Center, Long Island, NY
American Red Cross, Greater New York Region
Volunteer CenterServing Westchester and Mid-Hudson Valley
Hands on Network Action Centers, Various
Hope for New York, Various
NYC.gov for additional volunteer opportunities visit www.nycservice.org.
Volunteer to help clean and restore parks hit most affected by the storm
Volunteer at a Staten Island park
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Response Hotline, Newark, NJ
Hands On Network Action Center, Various
Jersey Cares, Newark, NJ
Pass It Along, Sussex County, NJ
Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Hackensack, NJ
Volunteer Center of Philadelphia and South New Jersey
United Way of Northern New Jersey, Morristown, NJ
New Jersey’s volunteer emergency response hotline: 1 (800) JERSEY-7
CONNECTICUT
Hands on Network Action Center, Various
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania: United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
RHODE ISLAND
Serve Rhode Island, Rhode Island, RI
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Cares, Boston, MA
VIRGINIA
Volunteer Alexandria, Alexandria, VA
Volunteer Fairfax, Fairfax, VA
Volunteer Arlington, Arlington, VA
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Greater DC Cares, Washington, DC
WEST VIRGINIA
If someone wants to contact volunteer, they can email disastervolunteersforwv@gmail.com, or call at (304) 343–9922. We will need their contact information (name, phone, email), specific skills, and the dates they want to volunteer.
Give Blood
The need for blood rises during disasters of this scale. You can locate information about donating through the American Red Cross or by calling 1 (800) RED-CROSS.
Cash Contributions
Cash donations are very useful in situations where supplies must be acquired quickly. This is the most efficient way to make an impact with your donations. If you need help in determining who to give to, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website has a list of major nonprofits active indisaster work or you can make your offer through the National Donations Management Network.
