I showed up at St. Jacobi at 10am Sunday, November 5, to see what help I could be in Far Rockaway. Got a carpool lift with Cathleen who drove me, Elaine, Katie & Kristin to Beach 38th & Beach Channel Drive.
We helped finish the mopping of the floor in the auditorium which I was told had about 5 feet of water in it during Sandy. An amazingly well-attuned group of people worked intuitively and symbiotically to transform this empty, dirty room (see photo) into a hub of resources for the people of Far Rockaway in need of clothing, some food, cleaning supplies and some toiletries. Within about an hour or so of arriving, the labyrinth of tables were set out so that volunteers could easily gather materials for the people in need. It felt so good to help after watching it all unfold on the news and online and feeling paralyzed and useless.
We need the word to out far and near about the invaluable work Occupy Sandy is doing. While elected officials alternately pontificate and scratch their heads, real people are arriving at real solutions and taking action.
