Going forward.

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paula z. segal

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Nov 11, 2012, 4:26:55 PM11/11/12
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It seems that we have really done what needed to be done. Our collective efforts have shone a spotlight on the variety of human suffering on Rockaway peninsula as a result of Sandy. 

Going forward, 596 Acres and UnLocal will go back to doing what we're always doing: giving communities control of their land resources and immigration legal services. We will continue to collaborate to provide legal assistance to those affected by the storm. Please volunteer here and we will share opportunities to provide legal assistance in the community: http://bit.ly/rockaways-legal

If you would like to volunteer in any other capacity (food provision, canvassing, demolition and house clean ups, and of course! rebuilding), please do. There are many community groups in Rockaway who truly would love your participation in their efforts. For starters, take a look at the list of Community Based Relief Sites that have emerged in response to the events of the last days (http://596acres.org/en/news/rockaway-current-needs/). These are great places to go to plug in. Also, feel free to just come out and talk to people - they will surely tell you what you can do to help the recovery. 

We are really excited about the community that has come together around these efforts and what we've been able to accomplish is nothing short of amazing. We're excited about the future. Really: nothing will ever be the same. 

Love, 

M & P

Giovanna Maselli

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Nov 11, 2012, 5:30:07 PM11/11/12
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Hi all,

I am a little confused on the below, as I feel it's rather premature for all of us to collectively step out after a week.

Has something happened today that I am not aware of? I would not want to stop food deliveries and provisions unless we are sure the Red Cross and FEMA have stepped in already.

Please send clarifications if you can.

Thanks,
Giovanna 



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Zoe Adlersberg

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Nov 11, 2012, 5:49:59 PM11/11/12
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I totally understand that they may need to focus on other things. BUT…the question is that there are still folks out there who are really motivated to serve hot food. Many of us are on the list and happy to help and I'm sure we can self organize. 

BUUUUUUUUT is there anyone on this board that is on the ground and coordinating WHO NEEDS WHAT WHERE AND WHEN??? If so can you make it clear who you are and how we can get in touch? 

I'm coming out on a truck tomorrow sponsored by the Mayor's office and I'm trying to raise funds to do more and more food trucks in the rockaways. BUT..I need a contact to know where it's most needed.

Anyone? Samantha are you still doing this? Thanks!

Zoe

Samantha Casolari

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Nov 11, 2012, 6:04:19 PM11/11/12
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Hey Guys 
I am a little confused too on the below. As far as i know there is still a daily need of food.

Has there been an official stepping in of fema or red cross or the city in every location we work with every day? Is there anything new happening? Can please someone let us know?

I am in contact with someone who can take over the food distribution in a more efficient way. As I mentioned today this is a little bit too crazy for me. I personally do not think the food distribution can be done without a structure, communications with locations and cooperation btw places, today was absolutely insane because of the lack of thereof, and that is leads to a sad waste of time, energy and resources.  But this is just me and my two cents! 

Anyway please whoever can confirm what Paula just said, can please let us know?

As soon as i have a contact for food I will pass it along. 
Thanks!
Samantha


Samantha Casolari

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Nov 11, 2012, 6:06:43 PM11/11/12
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Hey Zoe,

I have a person who might help you! I am going to email back to the group as soon as I have confirmed with him as I am passing that on to him!

Thank you so much!!
X
Samantha

The Fisherman's Dog

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Nov 11, 2012, 6:35:57 PM11/11/12
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Hi,

I'm running the food portion of the relief center on 96th Street. More than willing to coordinate. Things have just been consistently insane at our location so we've been kind of lone wolf. What do you need from us?

-Terence
The Fisherman's Dog

Samantha Casolari

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Nov 11, 2012, 6:44:54 PM11/11/12
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Hey Terence

Just so you know I have been trying to coordinate hot food all this time with not much success and i was doing that 24hrs a day basically. It is a full time job and it should also involve collecting data and information on each location so to make food distribution smooth and fluid and without overlap. It is a tremendous amount of work and I would not advise you to take that up If you already doing something else that is time intensive. 

Once again this is just my 2 cents after a week of doing it.

Thanks!


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The Fisherman's Dog

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Nov 11, 2012, 7:47:23 PM11/11/12
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Definitely not trying to take on all the responsibility. Just saying I'm willing to offer help. We've got roughly 10 volunteers a day cranking at our station. If someone gets ingredients that need prep or that they don't know what to do with our station can turn them into delicious hot food. We've got a few chefs on hands and make daily trips to restaurant depot to source needed ingredients. We're basically taking all food donations and organizing them like a jigsaw puzzle and buying the missing pieces.

Samantha Casolari

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Nov 11, 2012, 8:18:48 PM11/11/12
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Amazing! I was just giving you a little insights from my own experience after having done it for a week. I am off this because unfortunately I do not think I can help anymore. But you guys I'm sure know what to do as you know food already so I just wish you the best of luck !

I will try and help some other ways ...

Xxx
Samantha 
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Carol Pitts

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Nov 12, 2012, 11:27:57 AM11/12/12
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I am working on some ideas and creating systems that could potentially stream line the food efforts. As I said previously, I plan events. I am accustomed to managing many different moving parts at once and feeding large amounts of people. I need some time to come up with something simple enough that anyone can just plug in and go (yes this would include how to track things so there's no overlap and people don't fall through the cracks, easier communication etc.). I also made an Amazon gift directory so things can be shipped directly to St. Gertrudes but someone needs to maintain it. Any takers? I am willing to add new things and take down things no longer needed, but need someone on the ground who is reliable that can relay needs back. Indiegogo is an option too...

My sense is this: Right now, Rockaway would benefit most by people jumping in and creating systems that work and encouraging people from the Rockaway community to take over. I was there today, there are people in the Rockaway community who can and want to do it. They need to do it. I think it has become too overwhelming for everyone involved and the electricity is supposedly back on as of Tuesday. Which will help. So that may have some influence on the changing direction...

For now, I would suggest to anyone wanting to help with food and provisions just use the current tools (ride share, needs list, places to drop off things) and head to St. Gertrudes. Continue to self organize. If you're the kind of person who can jump in and figure stuff out, then get down there and talk to people. Things change so often anyways that it really is the best approach.... so tired I can barely see straight, I hope this helps...

Giovanna Maselli

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Nov 12, 2012, 1:01:02 PM11/12/12
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From my experience the main issue here is intercommunication.  

I feel we collectively have all the resources and manpower for the coordinating process to be smooth, but we need to create a sort of structure for this to happen. Many of us (including myself) need to head back to work and would be more than happy to continue contributing volunteering remotely a few hours per day (forwarding food, vols & supplies to locations, etc.), BUT as things are right now this is almost impossible to do due to the above mentioned lack of structure.

Most of the time we dedicated volunteering (I feel I can talk for myself & also on Samantha's behalf) has been spent rerouting things, which in my opinion is clearly not a sustainable way to to do things let alone to proceed. I feel that in order to move forward it's necessary to assess needs regularly and create steady channels of provisions, vols, etc. so we do not overlap, don't waste resources & don't expect people who give donations to also have to spend time to self organize, while there could and should be someone doing this for them (= us coordinators).

My suggestion has always been to divide the Rockaways into geographical areas of operation, have each organization supervise only one area and commit to deliver provisions, vols and resources to it, while communicating with the other organizations (through current text messaging) in case provisions & vols weren't enough, so we could all mutually support each other & be more efficient. Right now we keep on overlapping, consequentially delaying supply delivery and getting all beyond stressed out and tired because the current system is way too overwhelming for everyone.

I have a few practical ideas on how we could implement a better structure, so if you feel like what I said makes any sense to you at all please let me know and I will share in detail.

Thanks,
Giovanna

Samantha Casolari

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Nov 12, 2012, 1:19:53 PM11/12/12
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i agree with everything Giovanna had said. 
constant intercommunication and sharing of information to then be inserted in some sort of database is essential in order to run such an incredibly large scale of operations. otherwise everyone is wasting time energy and resources. 

Having each of you working on your own on canvassing, and supply and hot food does not seem a viable and efficient option because it can only lead to overlaps and waste. There are people who desperately need that stuff and so it is quite a misuse of the incredible resources we have if we are spending time rerouting (which is what i basically been doing like crazy these past few days) or having a building canvassed by 10 different groups coming from  10 different organizations no one which shares the collected info with each other. I really cannot see any use of that. BUT THAT IS ME.

I used to manage food distribution in refugees camps in North Uganda as well as villages in the centers. Both with the UN and NGOs so, I have a little experience with that. I am talking about 20,000 per camps  and there were lots of them. The only way these people were fed was through coordination and intercommunication. I keep on believing that is pivotal. But I am also stepping out as i cannot handle this any longer. I surely want to keep on helping so I want to try and find more efficient ways to do so that do not take all my 24 hrs and do not drive me insane.

Having said that i truly think you are all WONDERFUL PEOPLE and besides the craziness I felt I was truly blessed working with you and helping out thanks to you. I just hope you do not remember me as the crazy italian running around screaming desperately on her phone. I am not ONLY that. So please keep on doing the good work/

I wish you all the best.

Samantha

Carol Pitts

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Nov 13, 2012, 1:02:47 PM11/13/12
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Anyone interested in moving forward with relief efforts (food and supplies) please email sandyaidf...@gmail.com

Just had two tents and propane heaters shipped to St. Gertrudes today... A mobile kitchen (18 ft trailer that can crank out hot food) will be set up sometime today or tomorrow at a racetrack near Rockaway. Last word from them was they need people to help deliver it. I have several offers of money and supplies. I don't want to waste it. Not making any promises but I would like to at least explore the possibility of getting a reliable team together and see what we can do. If there are still lots of needs and we can fulfil them, I would like to try. I also have a team of people who are ready to take over what Michelle and Paula started...

If there is someone on the ground who could give me a update on what's what that would be HUGE. cell (917) 627-1318

Thank you.

Carol

paula z. segal

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Nov 13, 2012, 4:57:52 PM11/13/12
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Let us know how we can best support you. It's so exciting to see this new infrastructure coming up!
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