Fwd: Hurricane Sandy in the Far Rockaways

[Barbara Ellis]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows of a hacker/maker space in New York that might have working computers for two young girls (ages 11 and 12) whose family was affected by the hurricane? The family is from Far Rockaway, Queens. Some of you might have met the two girls I brought to Maker Faire with me in September. They can't return to their home and will probably be shipped to their grandmother in Maryland as the family tries to recover. Their grandmother is legally blind and has no computer, fax, etc. The girls are talented students who attend School of the Future in Manhattan and don't want to transfer schools. They're hoping to stay in contact through correspondence with their teachers. Any help or direction you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I've been trying to be the eyes and ears for the family while they work to organize and regroup.

Here is the text of an email I sent to my family a couple of days ago (note--the Greenhowards are now back in their damaged house in Rockaway with no electricity):

Hello Family and Friends,

I know I've been keeping in touch with some of you and now expanding the list regarding Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Previous emails were dedicated to Ben and my attempts at locating and helping our friends, Carter and Yadira Greenhoward, who live in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, New York City, New York. The Greenhowards are amazing people--generous, kind, and funny, who open their hearts and home to everyone. Their daughters, Gabby and Alyssa, are two of Braden and Peirce's best friends.

The Far Rockaways are located on a southern peninsula of Queens County, one of the five boroughs of New York City, but an hour's drive from Manhattan.The folks there are solidly working class and the entire community is in shambles. Carter and Yadira stayed to weather the storm and were home when the storm surged destroying their entire first level as their home became engulfed in water. During the surge, they lost sight of their car--all of the cars on their street. One neighbor had to break through walls and swim to the next level as the water consumed his house. Another neighbor didn't make it and Yadira fears there are more bodies.  Fortunately, Gabby, 12, their oldest, stayed with a friend to take the SHSAT last Saturday, a test for entry into New York's more competitive high schools, and became stranded when train service was suspended. Alyssa, 11, stayed with friends in Long Island for a planned sleep-over and was stranded, as well. 

After brief and cryptic texts all week, I was able to speak to Yadira at length yesterday. She says that despite reports, the Red Cross has not visited her neighborhood. Red Cross has stations much further down the island, but no one in her community has received as much as a bottle of water. The National Guard is there, but only to prevent looting. She and Carter were finally able to leave by bus Friday. They took four buses to get to Gabby and spent the remainder of the day traveling to Long Island to reach Alyssa, where they are currently staying. Their two cats are still in the house. 

When the Greenhowards contacted their insurance agent, they learned that homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods and flood insurance doesn't cover what is considered the basement or lower level of a dwelling. Although you can enter their home through a door at street level, it is considered the basement, and so everything is a loss. Couches, tvs, computers, washer/dryer, all the girls toys, school books, and contents in a bedroom and bathroom are gone. They drove an older model Jeep Cherokee and the insurance company said there's nothing they can recover from that either. Yadira's main concern is that all of their winter clothes, coats, comforters and blankets were stored there. There is no electricity, nor will there be for some time, and they are cold. Evening temperatures are near freezing, with highs in the 40s and lower 50s and Carter and Yadira are returning to the house today. They are sending the girls to stay with Carter's mother in Maryland, and are also concerned about the interruption in schooling, hoping the girls can communicate with their teachers for assignments. I dared not mention that his mom is partially blind with no computer, fax, etc. 

Carter lost his phone in the storm. Yadira's cell survived but service is spotty where she is in Northport and seemingly non-existent in Rockaway. She was finally able to charge her phone and take a hot shower. She doesn't want to be separated from her girls, but she can't take them home either. She's also concerned about loss of work. She works at a school for autistic children and without a vehicle or train service, doesn't know how she's going to get there. 

If anyone knows of a direct channel to help the Greenhowards and people in their community, it would be tremendously appreciated. I've been online saving information about churches who are providing meals, shelters, FEMA, hurricane relief, etc. Some of the neighbors are seniors, in their eighties, and cannot get to those locations. I emailed Yadira the pdf document with names and numbers I collected, but she can't open it on her phone and the internet is not working there in Northport (they just got electricity yesterday). I'm trying to be her eyes and ears but I know some of you have worked for non-profits or experienced emergency situations and any information you could provide would help so much--about any and all of it--disaster relief, schooling, insurance....

If you feel inclined, I am sure the people in their community would appreciate a blanket, warm clothes and prayers. I am sending a care package to their current location in Northport. I've attached photos of their neighborhood and pictures I took of the girls last summer at camp.

Thanks,

--
Barbara, Ben, Braden and Peirce

--
Barbara Ellis

[pezman]

Hi Barbara,

NTR (http://ntrweb.org/) might be a good source for computers.  

If you can boil the need for a computer down to some technical specifics, that would help with selecting appropriate hardware.  Personally, I have a stack of computers in my shed and my basement, but these machines might be worse than no computer at all (they are bulky, in need of an operating system etc).

So just as a first salvo in selecting appropriate machines, I presume that a middle-of-the-road computer that can get on the web would be adequate?  Can it run Ubuntu or does it need to be running Windows (or even OSX, if someone has an old Apple machine?). 

At any rate, I will look over what I have in order to see if there's anything that might be worth donating.  If NTR has any appropriate machines, I would be happy to pitch in for purchase and shipping.  Who knows -- maybe we will wind up starting a mini-movement.

[Barbara Ellis]

Thank you so much for your reply! I will check with NTR. Yes, the I believe a computer can run Ubuntu. I think they just need to contact their teacher, access the web and have an MS Word type program. 

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--
Barbara Ellis

[Dan Shookowsky]

Just an idea, I have - and I'm sure others do as well - boxes of parts, old cases, discarded RAM we can't seem to get rid of.  Why not have an event at an open house where folks learn to build PCs with donated parts?  All the PCs are donated to displaced families/schools.

[Sean McBeth]

I like it. Make it happen!

[Kyle Yankanich]

Why not contact NTR and see if they want to do this? Give equipment that needs TLC, we'll repair / make a class of it and give it back to NTR, or let the class participants buy their machines? NTR gets sales and moves hardware, and we get to host a class.
-K

[99]

That's essentially what NTR already does, but I bet they would be
interested in partnering for an event.

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[Far McKon]

Barbra,
I'm a member of NYCResistor, and we have a few 'loaner' machines used by visitors on nights and weekends.  I can  get one of them mailed out to them, or someone can drop by and pick one upat NYCResistor, by Atlantic Terminal one night.  It'll be a 'last generation' laptop, and it will probably run Ubuntu (unless they totally can't deal with that? ).

Put me in contact off-list with an address, and I'll get it to the right person.

Sorry to hear some folks you know were put put by the storm :(

hack on,
- Far McKon