Dear Occupy Sandy Network,

On Sunday, February 17th, you are invited to the largest climate change rally ever in our nation’s capital.  Residents and volunteers from the Rockaways will be traveling to DC to take action to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. You can join them by signing up for a bus from your neighborhood. Bus lists can be found f17nycbusbrigade.wordpress.com and350orgnyc.eventbrite.com.  Reduced fares and scholarships are available.

When Sandy hit, you were there, working together to help our city survive floods, power outages and black mold.  The February 17 trip to DC will call out the source of this superstorm:  fossil fuels and climate change. Buses leave from throughout New York City at 7am, for the rally at noon.   Rockaway residents are invited on a special bus leaving from YANA.  For more information about the bus from YANA, how to donate to help send this bus, or participation in the event, please contact Phoebe atOccupySandy@interoccupy.net.

Ways You Can Help Sandy Survivors From Home

Mold remediation is the big work of today!  Please donate to the Occupy Sandy Local Business Registry.  Go shopping here for masks, tyvek suits, commercial dehumidifiers and power scrubbers!  

Sandy Storyline is a participatory documentary about Hurricane Sandy and efforts to rebuild our neighborhoods.  To help with the project or share your story, please go to sandystoryline.com or email sandystoryline@gmail.com.

Ways to Help at Occupy Sandy Network Locations

Bay Ridge Brooklyn

Occupy Sandy Kitchen

Open 8am-6pm Daily
Accessible by Subway 

You will be chopping, slicing, and mixing!  Food Preparation, Coordination, Clean-Up.  Drivers needed with vehicles for deliveries.  The kitchen will be open for several more weeks and provides an important service to those throughout the network.  Food provides comfort, energy, and strengthens communities. Please stop by to help.  Help is especially needed in the afternoons.  The kitchen is located at St. John’s Church, 461 99th St, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Take the R train to 95th St. stop.  Walk south on 4th Ave, make a left on 99th street.  Contact sandybayridge@interoccupy.net and by leaving a voicemail at  347-465-7430.

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

10am – 5pm, Daily 
Accessible by Subway or Bus 

Muck-outs, debris removal from homes and yards, demolition, distribution of supplies to residents and resident, work orders or needs assessment in the trailer, on foot or phone. Languages: ***Russian***, Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin), Korean, Urdu, Arabic, Spanish.  The site is located in a trailer near 3076 Emmons Avenue, near Brown Street, about a 12 minute walk from Sheepshead Bay stop on the B/Q or right across from to B4 bus stop. Please wear sturdy shoes and non-pristine dress.  Please sign up athttp://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C49ACAB28A75-occupy, emailsheepsheadbayrecovers@gmail.com, or call 347-549-9708.  For groups of 5 or more you can also sign up through NY Cares by contactingmaggie.bernhard@newyorkcares.org for more information.   

Rockaways

YANA

Tues.-Sun. 10am-4pm
Travel by personal vehicle recommend, bus service also available, see below. 

We are currently rebuilding YANA, so volunteers with construction experience or willing to do manual labor are in high demand. Carpenters, electricians and plumbers will make our day. You can also assist with muck-outs, winterizing, resident check-ins, case management and administrative data entry. Bring boots and warm clothes, we’ll provide the rest. Spanish speakers appreciated.Walk-ins are accepted but advance notice is preferable. Projects vary greatly on different days. YANA is located at 112-34 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Park.  From the Rockaway Boulevard A station, regular limited-stop Q53 bus service operates to Rockaway Park-Beach 116 Street, as well as Q52 service to Arverne-Beach 69 Street.  Transportation info available here:  http://occupysandy.net/locations/rockaways/). For more information contact sandyrockaway@interoccupy.net  or call 347-644-YANA (9262).   To donate go to www.bit.ly/restoretherock. 

Respond and Rebuild

Weekends only, arrive by 9:30am
Personal vehicle recommended.  

This weekend, Feb 9 and 10, a free van leaves from 520 Clinton St, Brooklyn, at 8am.  After this weekend R&R will be providing shuttle service at 8:45pm and 9:15 pm from the Howard Beach A Train.  

Help with mold remediation in the Rockaways. It’s tough, physical work, and we’ll provide you with all the safety gear and tools you’ll need.  Just bring a bag lunch and dress warm, with hard soled shoes. Volunteers must sign up in advance, arrive by 9:30am for a safety training, and stay all day.  Your commitment allows us keep our promises to residents who have often been wait-listed and let down by others throughout this process.  Teenagers 16+ are welcome to participate. (16 & 17 yr olds must have a parental consent form signed) Pilgrim Church of Arverne, 7416 Beach Channel Drive. Registration is required by 5pm on the day prior to volunteering.  Sign up to volunteer is required at respondandrebuild.org.

Smallwater

Open everyday except Mondays, 10am – 3:30pm
Travel by personal vehicle recommend, bus service also available.

Muck-out as jobs come in, serving food, helping coordinating and cleaning up the site. 

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.  (Accessible by public transportation via the A train and Q53 bus.) Contact Michelle Cortez,Volunteer@smallwater.org,  smallwater.org.

The Action Center

Open 10am – 4pm Daily
Travel by personal vehicle is recommended, some bus service available.

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. Drivers needed. Work gloves, boots and warm winter wear, strongly suggested for all volunteers.  The Action Center is located at 5710 Beach Channel Drive. Subway and bus service to the Rockaways is  limited. Contact Sam Doe (center director) and Nelson (site coordinator) are ground contacts for volunteers to connect with upon arrival at 718 869-0346 or adoe196701@aol.com.

Staten Island

1128 Olympia

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am – 4pm
Personal vehicle recommended, all accessible by ferry/bus.

Staten Island needs help with muck-outs, canvassing, deliveries, and administration at hub. Note, the free store is closed. If you are driving, take the Verrazano bridge and exit at Hylan Blvd. Drive SW on Hylan, left on Greeley, left on Olympia. and the  hub is on the right. For more information Contact Goldi at Sandy1128Olympia@gmail.com or 347-201-0670.

For more information about getting involved with any of these projects, contact 347-770-4520 or OccupySandyVolunteers@gmail.com.