Hey Folks!
Below are some ongoing and upcoming volunteer opportunities in the Bay Ridge, Greenpoint, Rockaways, Sheepshead Bay and Staten Island. We also have som great news from YANA. As always thank you so much for all the time and energy you’ve given to this effort. Please spread the word to your friends!
Best,
Occupy Sandy
Extra! Extra! Tell the world! Tell your friends!
Phase 1 of the Restore Yana Project Completed
YANA (You Are Never Alone), Restore the Rock, and Occupy Sandy are proud to announce that the first phase of rebuilding our home in Rockaway Park, Queens is finally complete. On Friday January 11th, volunteers poured a new concrete floor, working late into the night to make sure there was a wheelchair ramp built before it set and dried.
YANA is a community center that opened its doors two weeks before Superstorm Sandy devastated the region. Its intended purpose was to train workers and bring jobs to the Rockaways, with an emphasis on green technologies. With the support of countless dedicated volunteers and solar power provided by Greenpeace, it re-emerged after the storm as an important relief site and community hub. We’ve been providing hot meals, free medical treatment, legal counseling and housing advocacy. YANA has also been a donation distribution site, trained and dispatched canvassers, construction crews and mold remediation teams throughout the peninsula.
For weeks, neighbors and volunteers have been working tirelessly to get YANA back on its feet so that it can resume its important work and contribute to the long-term recovery of the Rockaways. YANA is using passive and energy efficient building principles throughout its rebuilding process. The structure was completely gutted, dried out and treated for mold, brick walls were rebuilt and reinforced, the plumbing was redone and a new system of in-floor radiant heating was installed. This last element is an example of simple, inexpensive sustainable techniques that can help offset energy costs.
The floor is functional and beautiful, dyed with mineral pigments in deep reds and browns to match the unfinished brick wall. The hydronic (hot water) radiant heating system supplies heat directly to the floor through a series of pipes laid under the concrete. This system uses very little energy — the thermal radiation warms every object with which it comes into contact so it limits heat transfer and breaks the constant heating and cooling cycle of traditional heating systems.
We’re literally building from the ground up. Infinite thanks to the neighbors, volunteers and donors who helped make it happen.
Now, phase 2. Join us.
YANA is located at B113th St. & Rockaway Beach Boulevard. If you’d like to volunteer with us, we are open Tuesdays – Sundays and can put anyone to good use. Bring boots and warm clothes.
You can also follow us at facebook.com/yana113 and check out our website www.rockaway113.com
Other ways to help with Sandy Relief:
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Occupy Sandy Communications and Meeting Space
- Location: 122 Java St., Near G stop at Greenpoint
- Schedule: Open 10am – 6pm Monday – Saturday.
- Tasks: Help Occupy Sandy with Communications, Volunteer Organizing, Event planning and more. Please stop by or contact us for an appointment to meet with someone about getting more involved.
- Site Contact: 347-770-4520 or OccupySandyVolunteers@gmail.com
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Occupy Sandy Kitchen
- Location: St. John’s Church, 461 99th St, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Take R train to 95th St. stop. Exit station and go to 99th st. Make a left on 99th street and go towards Fort Hamilton Parkway. Left side.
- Schedule: 7 days a week from 8am – 6pm. The last time to arrive is 5pm.
- Tasks: Everyday we cut meat and veggie, cook meals, clean dishes, clean ice chests, organize fridges and supplies, pack meals for delivery, and clean-up for the day. Ideal number of volunteers is about 25 a day. If we get more volunteers, we can use them.
- Site Contact(s): Tim, Dave, Kate, sandybayridge@interoccupy.net and by leaving a voicemail at 347-465-7430.
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
- Location: 3047 Emmons Avenue, B/Q Sheepshead Bay station and walk 15 minutes.
- Schedule: 7 Days a week, Arrive between 10am and 4pm (Site closes at 5)
- Tasks: Need volunteers to Clean-out/debris removal, canvass on foot or by phone (language skills in Russian, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Urdu very helpful!), serving food, helping residents with supplies, and delivering food to disabled or elderly.
- Site Contact(s): Sheryl and Alex, sheepsheadbayrecovers@gmail.com, 347-549-9708
Rockaways, Queens
Respond and Rebuild
- Location: Averne, (Rockaways), Pilgrim Church of Arverne, 7416 Beach Channel Drive. Preferred volunteers drive in their own vehicles. There is a 15 passenger van leaving from 520. Need more people on Sundays than Saturdays.
- Schedule: Every Day EXCEPT Mondays, 9am – 4pm. **Volunteers cannot be accepted after 9:30 IN THE ROCKAWAYS due to restraints on staff, transportation and safety concerns.
- Tasks: Up to 50 volunteers daily. Come volunteer with Respond & Rebuild! Every Saturday and Sunday for the month of January we’re sending teams out into the field to do mold remediation in residents’ homes in the Rockaways–a necessary step before families can rebuild safely. It’s tough, physical work, and we’ll provide you with all the safety gear and tools you’ll need.
- Site Contact(s): Andy, Shanna, Gabriel, RespondandRebuild.org. – Please Sign Up and schedule a date online.
Smallwater
- Location: Rockaway Beach, 183 beach 96th street. Driving is recommended – Cross Bay Bridge from Howard Beach to beach 94th Left on Shorefront Parkway Right on beach 96th. No regular transportation is provided for volunteers. (It is possible to accessed by public transportation via the A train and Q53 bus.)
- Schedule: 6 days/week – Closed Mondays. Volunteers can arrive from 10am-2:30pm. (Site closes at 3:30).
- Tasks: Muck-out (clean-out) as jobs come in, serving food, helping cleaning up the site. Ideal number of volunteers is 10, more can be taken if groups are scheduled.
- Site Contact(s): Michelle Cortez, Volunteer@smallwater.org
The Action Center
- Location: 5710 Beach Channel Drive. Personal Vehicle Recommended. Subway service to Rockaways from outer areas, limited. Bus service in Rockaways, in service.
- Schedule: 10 am – 4 pm daily
- Tasks: Volunteers will be performing supply intake & distro activities, e.g. unloading supply trucks, unpacking boxes, organizing supply rooms, distributing supplies. Specific tasks, per day, vary. Volunteers with vehicles and room for multiple passengers, ideal. Work gloves, boots and warm winter wear, strongly suggested for all volunteers. Up to 20 volunteers, daily.
- Site contact: Sam Doe (center director) and Nelson (site coordinator) are ground contacts for volunteers to connect with upon arrival. http://theactioncenter.com
Staten Island
1128 Olympia
- Location: 1128 Olympia Blvd, Staten Island, Verrazano to Hylan Blvd exit, SW on Hylan until a left on Greeley, left on Olympia. hub on right.
- Schedule: M W F: 11am – 4pm, Weekends: 10am, 3pm is too late!
- Volunteer Tasks: Muck out work is continuous. other work is special projects including canvassing, deliveries, administration at hub, organizing free store / stock. 10 volunteers needed during the week, 50 on weekends which is when we concentrate on our muck-out work. we are starting to work by appointment, especially for muck-outs during the week.
- Site Contact: Ilya, Goldi, Sandy1128Olympia@gmail.com, 347-201-0670