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How To Help Sandy Survivors

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The National VOAD community of trusted agencies is working to identify opportunities for providing assistance to communities impacted by the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy.   This is a significant national disaster--each day new emergency needs are identified.  Your help is needed!  Here’s how you can make a difference now:

HOW TO DONATE: 

  • Donate to support relief and recovery effort by visiting the National VOAD Member Page .
  • Donate blood through American Red Cross  (Hurricane/Megastorm Sandy created a shortage)
  • Host a local fundraiser and donate the proceeds to a National VOAD organization
  • Help restock your local food bank

To donate in-kind items, please post an offer of the goods on the National Donation Management Network and choose the state where you would like to make an offer. 

VOAD members and emergency management authorities will review your offer and advise you if more action is needed.

Please confirm what is needed BEFORE taking action!

Here are some tips on donating in-kind goods:
• Donate in-kind goods that are specifically requested or needed by recognized organizations.
• Unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.
• Confirm needs by contacting the voluntary organization of your choice before starting to collect.

If you volunteer to host a collection, please do so with the answers to these questions:
• What is needed?
• Where is it needed?
• Do they have a way to receive and distribute it?
• How do they want it packaged and shipped?

Clothing, household items, and food are best provided by well-funded voluntary agencies and not through the expensive process of collecting, sorting, packaging, transporting, receiving, sorting, and distributing of goods. Everyone is moved when they hear the news that disaster has struck a community. By learning and practicing the best ways to donate and volunteer, we can all make a huge difference in the lives of those affected.

 

HOW TO VOLUNTEER:

Due to continuing transportation and fuel challenges, as well as on going power outages, it is difficult for disaster relief organizations to receive and train new volunteers at this time. Please understand it may be a few days before needs in the impacted area are fully understood and organizations now helping on the ground can begin to receive, train and house additional volunteers.

In the meantime, there are additional ways you can help:

  • Register your interest to volunteer at All For Good and Serve.gov . By registering you will receive up-to-date information, including when new volunteer opportunities are posted.
  • For volunteer opportunities in individual states, please see the following HandsOn Network affiliates:

    • NEW YORK

      New York Cares, New York City

      Long Island Volunteer Center, Long Island, NY

      Volunteer Center Serving Westchester and Mid-Hudson Valley

      New Jersey

      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

      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

      We have setup an email for people wanting to volunteer in West Virginia. If someone wants to contact volunteer, they can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call at 304-343-9922. We will need their contact information (name, phone, email), specific skills, and the dates they want to volunteer.

 

While immediate opportunities to volunteer in the affected area may seem limited, please remember that the recovery effort will continue for many months and volunteers will be needed throughout this time. Thank you so much for your willingness to support the affected communities!

 

Media Requests: 
James McGowan, Assoc. Executive Director
(202) 580-2335
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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