A look inside a Rockaway high-rise, neglected after Sandy

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Reports coming out of New York's storm-struck Rockaway Peninsula have emphasized the lack of power in towering public housing blocks, the cold, the absence of food and supplies and the seeming neglect by FEMA and Red Cross relief efforts.

This video, posted Wednesday by relief volunteer Kate Baladina on YouTube, takes viewers through the pitch black corridors of a Far Rockaway housing complex, where residents -- seniors and non-English speaking immigrants among them -- complain about a dearth of official assistance. Baladina illustrates the bureacratic barriers inherent in alerting the authorities and the Red Cross to neglected areas.

At the time of filming, the building had only received help from volunteers with Occupy Sandy, home attendants and social workers.

Sandy relief steps up

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:40:00 +0000

The Red Cross is bottom-lining the mammoth task of Hurricane Sandy relief. Having provided emergency shelters for thousands of evacuated East Coast residents since Sunday night, the organization has now sent more than 1,300 disaster workers from around the country and 230,000 ready-to-eat meals to storm-struck areas.

“This will be a large, costly relief response and we need help now,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of Disaster Services for the Red Cross, in a release. Shimanksi urged that people donate funds to the relief efforts. More information about giving money and donating blood to the Red Cross can be found here. According to the organization, "nearly 100 Red Cross blood drives have already been canceled due to the storm, and there could be more as the week goes on. This means a loss of as many as 3,200 blood and platelet products." The charity noted, "If anyone is eligible, especially in places not affected by the storm, they are asked to please schedule a blood donation now." The New York Blood Center is also asking for blood donations to prevent shortages.

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A look inside a Rockaway high-rise, neglected after Sandy

Sandy relief steps up