The Embrace of Hurricane Sandy Relief

Henry Montesano

6 years ago

Established as a relief organization to provide timely aid to victims of natural disasters in the United States and abroad, Embrace Relief goes a step beyond traditional aid organizations. Our recovery efforts feature dynamic, multi-pronged strategies, involving the cooperation of other organizations. Acting in concert, we combat poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment, preventable diseases, poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare. Also encompassing financial and emotional support, our efforts strive to restore the whole person, preserving both their lives and their dignity. In 2012, following Hurricane Sandy, Embrace Relief joined forces with a number of organizations to provide much needed relief in the form of food, water and other resources, such as hygienic supplies. Over the course of four days, they served meals to roughly 2,740 people at three locations: Levittown Memorial High School, Nassau Community College and Lindenhurst.

On Nov. 11, 2012, members of the organization joined New York City Assembly Member Eric Stevenson’s recovery efforts at the Salvation Army Franklyn Women’s Shelter in the Bronx. Overseen by Congressman Jose E. Serrano and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, they fed 500 people. For the Broadway Presbyterian Church’s annual Thanksgiving dinner, held in the Lower East Side’s NY City Rescue Mission, Embrace Relief donated 15 turkeys, 240 cans of tuna, 108 cans of corned beef, 80 pounds of apples and three cases of pudding. Along with the Turkish Cultural Center, they gave 200 blankets and 4,000 bars of soap to residents of Brooklyn. In Rockaway, Queens, they delivered food and cleaning supplies to 500 people, and the Connecticut Food Bank received 13 boxes, containing 200 pounds of ground beef. Lastly, the organization gifted $40,000 for general storm recovery, as well as $50,000 specifically allocated to the Far Rockaway branch of the Queens library.

Because of its demand for up-to-date intelligence, constant communication and thoughtful governance, Embrace Relief was able to not only stave off hunger, thirst and cold, but restore a measure of dignity to victims of Hurricane Sandy. Its response here is emblematic of its recovery efforts since the disaster, as well as the those it will conduct in the future. Due to its adaptability, Embrace Relief can be relied upon to see you through the storm. To learn more about Embrace Relief’s disaster relief efforts, click here.