HURRICANE SANDY UPDATES
FARM2ME FEEDS 12,000: just another day…
Dear Friends,
I just wrapped up a Thanksgiving Event that fed over 6,000 people in Staten Island, and the number of people returning to their homes, without power, insulation, walls, clothes, furniture, warm blankets, living in mold and resiliently trying to percevere is staggering! We also had a second driver, with 3,000+ meals that drove to the Rockaways and delivered to 7 of our locations there. We also partnered with iVolunteerNY to deliver to neighborhoods in Coney Island, Seagate, and Gerritseen Beach. I am motivated by our partners on the ground: leaders in the communities, neighbors who stepped up, volunteers from New York and abroad, and the infrastructure we have put in place . Our friends and family, their friends and their families, across New York City, Nassau County, New Jersey, all along the Northeastern seaboard are now homeless and will remain so for months, years, possibly permanently. 100s of thousands of people have been wiped out, rich and pour, from all nationalities and age groups.
Our goal is to prevent the spread of disease and provide relief to those without nourishing food. It is EXTREMELY important for people to have vitamins and nutrients, fruits and vegetables, and fresh foods, natural juices, herbs and access to medicine, at this time. Especially young and old; “vulnerable” populations. These people are susceptable due to their suppressed immune systems (Children due to underdeveloped immunte systems, Elderly for their weekend immune systems). A record number of New Yorkers have been affected by this natural disaster, and a pandemic has the potential of growing. We are expecting a 1 -2 year recovery for people in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Nassau County, New Jersey and surrounding areas. Farm2me has a background in disaster preparedness and response, we studied local food system distribution for a year & a half in San Francisco and Austin, TX, and we are using our experience to help each of you in this tough time. We feed record numbers of people New York’s freshest and most nutritious food. We have meetings in the coming weeks with the Department of Homelands Security, Directors of Disaster Preparedness and Response: George Foltin and Tom Frogel, both co-PI of Pediatric Disaster Coalition. Additionally, we are working closely to advise Food Bank NYC’s food trucks, to assign them our 15 locations, to get those locations to Stage 2 recovery [see: Beach 129/St Francis Church, Rockaways]. We will continue to find and “fuel” new locations; we have found 6 new locations without warm food for 4 weeks as recently as yesterday, November 22! Alarming, but we are on it!
We know that institutions have proved to be missing in action, inadequate in community outreach, and inefficient 4 WEEKS after the storm has begun. We are glad that we started working with Uncle Gussy’s 4 weeks ago, and partnered with Bareburger at Beach 129/St Francis Church to feed 300 locals. We all have to work together to get to the ultimate goal, which is to make life better while these people rebuild. For those of you on the ground, in the communities, who have no access to transportation, FEMA centers, Red Cross warming tents, alternative housing, we will continue to be your primary source of delicious and healthy food, and there for you until the very end. Our path to outreach has been long & tedious, but your support, our food partners, the volunteers canvassing food door-to-door, have all proven to be resilient.
This week we have delivered close to 30,000 meals, and have reached the Rockaways, Staten Island, Coney Island, Seagate, Gerritsen Beach, a new record. We are working on popup markets that will feed 10,000+ people daily. And several partners, including The Patsy’s Pizza (of East Harlem), Brother Jimmy’s, Hot Bread Kitchen, and Red Jacket Orchards, prepared food and helped transport that food around the boroughs mentioned above. Earlier this week, we have been getting phone calls from Food Trucks telling us the Food Bank will start a prepared food delivery program starting Today, Thursday, November 22, and we are working with them to train and supply those drivers with local community relief operations on the ground in Rockaways and Staten Island. Click here to read daily updates about our work since the storm, and click here to see pictures of our work on our Facebook page.
The food is donated, the volunteers, the drivers all volunteer their time, all we need help with is to pay for our gas and for our food trucks’ gas. Each $70 donation can fill a tank, and drive 6,000+ meals.
Thank you for everything you’ve done and have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Best,
Garry Michael
184 Kent Avenue, Suite B401
Brooklyn NY 11211
646.481.8184
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