By Ellen Kimbro
C&C Assistant Adviser
When Hurricane Sandy made landfall less than three weeks ago on Oct. 29, every network’s nightly news program in America dedicated much of its 30-minute time slot to rescue efforts, storm damage and the emotional toll experienced by those who live along the Eastern Seaboard.
Now that some time has passed, extensive coverage of the hurricane’s aftermath is already starting to taper off. Most of America will soon lose interest.
A critical need for funds and supplies will remain for months, and in some places even years. Relief agencies will soon feel the effects of that decline in news coverage and eventually won’t be able to meet those needs.
The situation in New York alone is so serious that earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sought $30 billion in federal aid for that state, according to the New York Times.
Not $30 million but $30 billion, and that’s just to cover the damage done in one state.
The figure for which Cuomo is asking far exceeds the roughly $12 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds available, the Times states, adding Congress wasn’t likely to approve funding such a figure.
Several states are struggling. Gas rationing in 12 counties in New Jersey ended Tuesday, but a similar program took effect this week in New York City and Long Island.
At press time, more than 125,000 people in New York and New Jersey still had no electricity.
Some families whose homes were swept away or are uninhabitable are temporarily moving into vacant apartments.
Others are bunking at shelters and have no idea how long they will need to stay there.
Imagine the strain of trying to function every day in a job or at school after having spent night after night in a shelter trying to sleep among dozens or even hundreds of others in the same predicament.
With the possibility of another recession looming, many of those still above water are loath to part with their money.
A government about to go off a so-called “fiscal cliff” isn’t exactly in a position to provide funds, either. This is where Christians need to step in.
To say that Union is a generous community is an understatement.
Many campus dwellers saved their spare change all semester and donated more than $1,500 to fund Residence Life’s ‘S’more Giving’ campaign Nov. 6. Those funds will benefit the Regional Inter-faith Association’s efforts to serve free meals on Thanksgiving Day. (Look for a story this week about that event at cardinalandcream.info.)
On the same day, about 1,000 people from among Union’s student body, faculty and staff donated time and resources during its annual Campus and Community Day. (Read about those volunteer efforts on today’s Life page.)
Student-led organizations raise significant funds for all kinds of causes all year long.
Now the hardest hit areas of New York and New Jersey have critical needs, and finding a reputable relief organization that will quickly get supplies and funds to those who need it most can be confusing.
Here are some tips and ideas for giving:
• To determine which organizations can take items you may have to donate, visit the website for the National Donations Management Network at www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/FEMA/. The site also offers a list of major non-profit organizations active in disaster work.
• To find guidelines on how to determine what an organization actually needs, visit www.fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibly.
• Donating to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Rapid Response Team gets trained Christian volunteers on the ground to help meet the emotional and spiritual needs of disaster victims. Find out how to donate at http://www.billygraham.org.
• Those who shop on eBay.com can donate funds there to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The funds go directly to MissionFish, which then aids relief organizations. For every donation, eBay is covering MissionFish’s 3.75 percent processing cost, so 100 percent of every donation reaches the nonprofit.
Residents in this state may one day need the same kind of critical help those in New York and New Jersey desperately need right now.
Even in these fragile economic times, no amount given is too little.
Ellen Kimbro is evening circulation supervisor at Emma Waters Summar Library and assistant adviser to the Cardinal & Cream.
