D15 — Sandy survivors' day of action in Rockaways, NY

Residents of Rockaways joined together with Occupy Sandy on December 15, marching the streets and demanding that the government do something to help rebuild the neighborhood after Hurricane Sandy. 

It is now two months since Superstorm Sandy hit the area, but the disaster is far from over for these residents, and relief needs are still great. 

 

Heat and electricity are still absent in many areas, and many homes are uninhabitable, with black mold taking hold. Those living in homes with mold are becoming sick. 

 

With some landlords increasing rents by huge amounts, to try and cover their costs, and with other property owners deciding not to repair properties and evicting tenants, times are very hard in the Rockaways. Some people had household insurance on their houses and are now finding that the response from the insurance companies is taking much too long. 

 

Yet with all the problems still ongoing, government and FEMA response has been glaringly absent. As they did with Hurricane Katrina, and other recent disaster-and-recovery events, reconstruction resources and responsibility have been handed off by city, state and federal agencies, to corporations and markets. This hand-off has pushed affected people further out of their communities, further into crisis and vulnerability, and further from the decision-making tables that allocate public resources. 

 

Where the government has failed, Occupy and other groups have stepped in. Occupy Sandy Relief NYC has done the very best it can, but it cannot restore electricity and replace homes. 

 

On December 15, citizens, activists and community leaders took to the streets to demand change from the government and to take charge themselves. The people are demanding that power is restored to the people.

The people also now understand that climate change has turned a corner and they know they will be hard hit again by extreme weather events. Hence they are taking to the streets to ask "whose interests our government serves? Is it polluters, predatory lenders, and disaster profiteers?" 

 

"Or can we build a stronger, better, resilient New York where all of us, regardless of race, class or power, can weather future storms?" Do you live near the Rockaways? Have you also been affected by the lack of government and FEMA support after Sandy? Please comment below.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339478

Occupy Sandy Relief: Rockaway devastation and recovery (video)

Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Sandy Relief projects are still continuing in New York. Rockaway residents reflect, recover and rebuild the community after Hurricane Sandy brings destruction and chaos to the beachfront neighborhood. 

Surveying the surrounding devastation in Rockaway, one resident opens the *video with, "The weather reports usually exaggerate. Just in case something catastrophic happens, just to come out and say, hey, you know, we warned you. But this time they were right. They were dead on. If not, it was actually worse than they said."

Other residents share the experience of windows popping out under the stress of the water, living in the dark, with no electricity, no water, no gas. We see residents in the area trying to make repairs, clean up the mess and get back to normal, but it is difficult under the circumstances.

Another resident reflects on his experience and says, "I don't want to die with 85 year old people, trying to make them swim, and deal with them drowning and so on. It just makes you appreciate life, even the wind on my face, which is freezing right now, feels nice."

A lady speaks of her neighbor, "You think of heroes as these big cops and firemen, and believe me they are too, and they always are. But here's someone, who just comes out of the blue, she calls me up when I'm being evacuated and says "What can I do." The day before we had to evacuate she called me to say let me help you to get the stuff off the terrace. She was going from terrace to terrace." 

We are introduced to rescue workers and Occupy Sandy Relief members, bringing food and water to residents who are unable to get out and about. We watch a community barbeque on the go.

One resident says, "You see the people come together more, you see everyone going out of their way to do the right thing. It's interesting, because sometimes you ask yourself, why can't it be done all the time like that."

Another says, "You know, it don't make no sense, that it takes death or a tragedy like this for people to come together and help. You know, and that's the main time you see people coming together to help each other, when its a death or funeral, you know, or tragedy like this." 

* Regrettably, blogger does not bring up the correct YouTube video - you can watch the video here 

Occupy Sandy Relief NYC: OWS helps victims of the superstorm

In the wake of devastation by Superstorm Sandy, OWS is getting involved, using its grassroots strength to help those affected and to organize relief efforts. 

As stated on their home page, "Occupy Wall Street & 350.org have teamed up with Recovers.org – a people-powered disaster relief platform – to help coordinate response to Hurricane Sandy in NYC." 

With around 750,000 New Yorkers without power, large areas of New York City remain under water and at least 18 people have been killed. The OWS volunteers started in the Lower East side and have been moving through New York's five boroughs with members of international environmental organization 350.org and recovers.org, a disaster aid group. 

OWS is using the social media to coordinate its efforts, with the help of local churches and city agencies. Anyone wishing to get involved should tweet using the hashtag #SandyVolunteer. If you need help, tweet using the hashtag #SandyAid. 

There is also a Facebook page to help coordinate efforts as well as a Twitter page. Volunteers are also out on the streets, giving aid where possible and finding those in need, and passing the information on to Recovers.org. 

OWS is calling for people with "experience in or tools for medical and psychological services, electrician work, plumbing, construction, financial or legal services, debris and tree removal, childcare, transportation, senior services or language skills," who can sign up at one of three sites in the Red Hook in Brooklyn, Astoria in Queens and in the Lower East Side in Manhattan.  

A pay portal has been set up for anyone wishing to make financial donations in the recovery efforts. Also drop off points have been established throughout Brooklyn, where people can donate food, water, flashlights, batteries, candles and other necessities.  

Drop off points are as follows:  

Red Hook - Red Hook Initiative, 767 Hicks St  
Park Slope - Residence, 258 15th St, apt #2  
Sunset Park - St. Jacobi Church, 5406 4th Ave  
Williamsburg - Residence, 75 Powers St. #2, 11211  
Bedstuy - Residence, 136 Jefferson Ave, apt 2 11216  
Harlem - Residence, 47 Saint Nicholas Avenue #4d, btw 112 and 113 

In other response news, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office has suggested the NYC Service be employed, which is a government initiative coordinating volunteer efforts on a year-round basis. 

Bloomberg wrote on Twitter, "We've seen an enormous outpouring of support from people who want to volunteer & contribute." Volunteers will be notified once opportunities become available. 

Bloomberg also praised New York City's first responders, for their "heroic efforts to protect New Yorkers" during the storm. "I can’t say enough about the extraordinary work of our first responders at the FDNY and NYPD, EMS, hospital workers, and more," he said. 

In his speech, Bloomberg says that it will take some time to get things back "on the path to recovery." He admits it could take up to five days to have the city's transportation system running again. He also quoted Governor Andrew Cuomo as saying, "It was as bad as anything I have experienced in New York." 

The American Red Cross is coordinating blood donations, collecting financial donations and seeking volunteers to staff its shelters. The Daily Mail has several striking photographs of the devastation in the city.

Read more and watch videos: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/335860#ixzz2ArshU52o