Above: Organizers and Residents in the Rockaways
In the eighteen months since Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast and forced the entire region to rethink our way of life, people on the front lines of the recovery effort have been working tireless to rebuild and restore hope to the community.
Eighteen months later, The Occupy Sandy network is still working tirelessly for a just recovery and a more resilient future
Whether it be developing youth programming, worker cooperatives, and political education and organizing for responsible development in the Rockaways; coordinating rebuilding crews and sharing stories in New Jersey; or building coordination systems for community-led relief, recovery and resilience efforts – our community coalitions are growing strong and there is still so much work to be done.
Yesterday, a dedicated group will come together for a press conference in Staten Island to mark the 18-month anniversary, and to discuss progress and future plans. The group will gather at 706 Quincy Avenue at 2pm – an Ocean Breeze street virtually destroyed by the storm – in front of the home which was rebuilt by members of the Long Term Recovery Group’s rebuild committee.
Over the past few months, dozens of volunteers have breathed life into the home – installing windows, doors, a floor, a new roof, sheetrock and insulation in what had been a shell for more than a year. The work on this home is part of a renewed push to rebuild homes and get storm survivors’ lives back to normal.
The 2014 goal of the Staten Island Long Term Recovery Organization is to rebuild some 125 homes in the disaster zone. Today organizational leaders and residents whose lives were upended by Sandy will share their perspectives, and talk about their successes, challenges and their vision for the future.
Speakers will include Thomas McDonough, of the Stephen Siller Foundation; DerekTobacco of Guyon Rescue; Ross Decker of Yellow Boots; and the Rev. Terry Troia of
Project Hospitality.
For more information on the press conference, contact the Rev. Karen Jackson at 718-448-1544 ext. 166 or 917-859-4335.
Volunteers outside the house on Quincy Avenue, Staten Island
The Jersey Shore, Still Rebuilding, Courtesty of Sandy Storyline
Occupy Sandy is an open network. We organize democratically, and operate according to the values of the Occupy movement as we understand them. We welcome participation from anyone committed to Sandy recovery. Our fiscal sponsor is the Alliance for Global Justice, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and therefore your donation is tax-deductible. Their EIN number is 52 – 2094677.