Reports we are hearing from our Somebody Cares ministry partners on the ground in New York and New Jersey is heartbreaking. The situation is far worse than we are hearing on National News. We had a report in today that the devastation on Staten Island along was worse than New Orleans after Katrina! And we are receiving reports of massive damage and need in places like Long Island, NY; Coney Island, NY; Hackensack, NJ; Ocean County, NJ; Lower Manhatten, NY and the list goes on!
Whole communities have been without food, medicines, water, electricity and even fuel to retrieve supplies. Teen gangs roam some areas breaking in and stealing whatever they find. Temperatures are freezing and people are cold, hungry, afraid and desperate.
In the midst of it all, the Church in those areas is active and mobilized to be a tangible expression of God’s love. But the need is much greater than their resources and they are crying out for our help.
The Somebody Cares Network has been working to coordinate relief efforts since before Sandy came ashore. But no one could have anticipated the vast devastation it left in its wake.
Through daily conference calls with 20 to 30 ministry partners each day, we have real time assessments of the situation on the ground. The reports are heartbreaking and the needs are tremendous. But the Church is active in being a tangible expression of Christ in the midst of tragedy.
Here is a glimpse of what the Somebody Cares network has done so far:
- Somebody Cares Mobile Outreach is deploying to help with assessments and supply distribution.
- Blood-N-Fire Holy Smokers will begin serving hot meals in hard hit communities this weekend.
- Victim Relief Ministries chaplains are mobilizing to deploy.
- Christian World Embassy of Texas is providing a shower trailer and distribution point to the Hackensack, NJ area so families can access needed supplies.
- New York Christian Resource Center is coordinating the receipt and distribution of water, non-perishable food and other necessities throughout the New York area.
- CRI is assessing suburban and rural needs in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia as well as sending teams to aid residents.
- New York School of Urban Ministry is set up to house volunteer teams.
- Street Life Ministry to deploying their food truck to un-served areas.
- Tree removal specialists are on stand-by to aid in communities wrecked by high winds.
- Mercury One sent in a truckload of emergency supplies to Coney Island, NY and is partnering with us throughout the region.
- A Can Can Make a Difference is mobilizing two truckloads of food and emergency supplies into the region over the weekend headed for Somebody Cares partner Points of Distribution, one in Ocean County, NJ and one near the Rockaways.
- Mercy Chefs is serving meals in Lower Manhattan and provided 4000 meals just today!
- Relief supplies like water, non-perishable foods, hygiene items and more are being procured and collected by Somebody Cares Chapters and other ministry partners around the country for Sandy’s victims.
- And more!
Sandy’s cut a huge path of destruction in the most densely populated region of the country. So as each moment passes, we discover more urgent needs. Right now we have requests for:
- Hot Meal service – we have ministries in position and serving meals but they need to be resupplied with good and fuel.
- Non-perishable food
- Bottled water and other drinks
- Diapers and baby supplies
- Sanitation and hygiene items like hand sanitizer, wipes, etc.
- Blankets
- Cleaning supplies for mud outs and mold remediation
- Large tents for feeding with kerosene heaters
- Fuel – we are being asked to truck fuel in so care aid can be distributed and people transported to medical facilities etc.
- Box truck for urban distribution (Many vehicles were flooded and are no longer in use)
- Funds for trucking supplies into the region
- Funds for management operations
- Gift cards ($30 – $50) to use when stores reopen for individual assistance
Please consider a generous donation today !