When Hurricane Sandy struck on October 29, 2012, it caused a level of destruction none of us could have imagined. It also demonstrated the devastating impact of poverty in the face of natural disaster. While many in our city have reclaimed their pre-Sandy lives, others have not. Two years may have passed, but New Yorkers in the hardest-hit communities are still struggling.
The hardships they faced before the storm were exacerbated afterward, making it harder for them to bounce back. But Food Bank, our network of charities and our partners are committed to helping Sandy survivors rebuild their lives.
We were here for New Yorkers from Day One of Sandy and we are still here today, providing emergency food, critical benefits and other resources. We’ve tapped our campus pantries in public schools to ensure that families have easy access to food. We have engaged our Tiered Engagement Network (TEN) to connect families in Sandy-affected areas with SNAP (food stamps), free tax prep and emergency food.
The members of our network serving as Community Response Partners (CRPs)—Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, New York Common Pantry, Project Hospitality and The River Fund—are accessing Food Bank’s Wi-Fi-ready RVs to bring vital sources of help and service to families whose lives were upended by Hurricane Sandy.
The lessons in efficiency that we learned from our partnership with Toyota, who introduced Food Bank to their production philosophy, “Kaizen,” are helping us get more food to people in less time. Food Bank is leveraging all of these tools and more to help Sandy survivors get back on their feet.
Photo: Melanie Dunea/CPi