Riverside Church would be where??

The Riverside Church is located at 91 Claremont ave New York, NY 10027, its in morningside hieghts. If you are in the neigborhood, come on out!

Hello. My name is Misty and I live in Boston. I can't help but want to do something for the people in need from Sandy. I myself don't have the monetary donations, however, I am trying to get my fellow Bostonians to donate supplies. Ideally, I'd like to fill a bus or box truck or something and drive it down full of supplies. Here's what I think I need in order to get local businesses to donate: a tax exempt ID. I'm trying to get a company to donate the truck and driver to bring supplies down. Unfortunately most businesses want a tax ID (which is understandable) Filling the truck would be no problem. Do you know any organizations that could help with this task in terms of a tax ID? I'm just a civilian who wants to do what they can to help and to hear all these stories of people being cold and hungry just breaks my heart.

The RED CROSS is the ONE place I would NEVER donate!!! The president/CEO is LOADED with money...the volunteers...VOLUNTEER and the people the money is supposed to go to gets almost NOTHING!! Pick a different way to help! Do your research...or flush your money down the toilet. There are other ways to help.

Red Cross has good people and does good work. But, I agree they are way to top heavy and should be using those huge salaries to assist, rather than pay those corporate types at the top. Smaller orgs generally are much more efficient.

Don't waste your time or money with the Red Cross. I live in one of the hardest hit area's (Long Beach) when we were in desperate need of help the only assistance I saw were the National guards, they gave us food, water, and information, I never seen a Red Cross worker until Nov 22nd.

I'm sorry but you do not have a heart. Not everyone that lost everything stayed. And not everyone HAS a place to go to. YOU lose everything and someone tells YOU to "suck it up". No heart.

You aren't being insensitive. I feel the same way! People expect the government to take care of them when they should take care of themselves! They are acting like it "snuck up" on them like a tornado. Please! One lady said....I need help, I have 2 children who are 20 months old. My heart goes out to her as I am also a mother of a very young child. BUT, you knew it was coming....protect your children and leave. All of your elected officials were telling you to leave. ALL of the media was saying to leave. BUT you CHOSE to stay and you want to blame the government for not helping you. Help yourself. I live in an area that was affected by Katrina. During that time, they called Bush "racist" because he wasn't helping the people quick enough. Obama is president but y'all don't call him racist....nope, you just blame the Red Cross. Stop being "entitled" and do something for yourself!

You do have a heart. Please. Everyone has family. Everyone has a friend. There are hotels. It is MUCH cheaper to book a hotel room than be in the current situation they are in. People did NOT think this through and did not listen to the warnings. But, now they expect the government to come in and help them when they would not help themselves. Typical American attitude. Wanting handouts.

Please be aware that there are many reasons that people don't evacuate. They have no family, nowhere to go, no car to drive, no money for public transportation, no money for hotels, too sick to travel, too old to move, too afraid to leave, no one to check on them, kids to care for, animals that are family members and can not be left to die, etc. Life is complicated. Please be sympathetic and extend your hand to help them, whether you understand why they didn't evacuate or not.

Freestyle Lady and Suz I think you just put the malookie on yourselves. Being a victim of flood and fire I understand you have no idea what you are talking about. Karma

Are you out of your mind? The storm hit the entire Northeast. Where were people supposed to go? Yes, there were people who didn't evacuate as instructed, but there were plenty of people impacted who weren't asked to evacuate. How do you expect they could evacuate all of Manhattan or the whole state of NJ? Where would people go? And even those who evacuated have lost their belongings and be in need of help. This post is about those of us who WANT to help because we care. If you just want to pass judgment, certainly you can do that somewhere else. As for the whole Obama/Bush thing, seriously? You're just an idiot. And I don't say that lightly.

not everone has close family and not everone has close friends or if they had family or friends a few hours away they might not had a car or away there or might not had money to go somewhere people live paycheck to paycheck and dont have money and had no way no how to get out of harms way

My heart does go out to all affected by this storm. But I have to agree with Suz-4621830. When they tell you this is going to be an epic storm and to evacuate, you do it. This situation could happen to any of us. Earthquake, Tornado, Hurricane, it does not matter. We need to be better prepared for these situations. We can not always expect the government, federal or state to come to our defense. At least there was warning this storm was coming. People who feel the need to ride the storm out need to pay attention to those who did, and now wonder where the help is.

Wow. These must be very fortunate people indeed. I do not own a car and I live in a city with few contacts... it's easy to think "what would I do?" & "where would I go?" - I find it fascinating that some people cannot imagine that scenario. "it is much cheaper to book a hotel room" - are you serious? Some people don't have that kind of money. Likewise, some people chose to stay and they are facing the repercussions - but that's just NOT true for EVERY victim of hurricane Sandy. There are elderly, poor, and disabled people in our society... Whatever the choices they made - many, many, Americans are in distress now. I think we should be nice.

I realize that many times people do not have transportation. But I have been to NYC and they probably have the most well developed far reaching transportation system anywhere in the US. There is no reason that people on Staten Island could not have gotten on that transportation system and at the very least went as far as it could take them away from the water ..... and go stay in a shelter (even a church).

I`m watching Rock Center and after three days these people are angry, angry that everything has not been taken care of...that the gov`t is not already there for them. Helllooo. That is why everything you read about disasters says that you have to be prepared to deal with the post-disaster for a week all by yourself.

And excuse me.....but most everyone that comes in from out of your area to help will be VOLUNTEERS!!!! Those are the Red Cross and FEMA. The paid gov`t workers are looking for the dead still. Just on the off chance that they might still be alive.

So much for New Yorkers being so great (per all the news broadcasts).

Freestyle lady & Suz 4621830: I live in a senior development at the Jersey Shore, we were NOT told to evacuate. We didn't have any flooding, but like people from Elizabeth to north Jersey, we have no power. Don't lump everyone in with those foolish enough to stay behind after they were told to evacuate. This morning the temperature in my home was 58 degrees, even after cleaning the windows and opening the shades to try and take advantage of the sun. A widow a few houses from me is elderly, gets Meals on Wheels which didn't come 3 days in a row, her only family left is an elderly brother a few blocks away who, like her doesn't drive. A few of my neighbors don't have cars and normal bus service is not running this week. We are helping each other. One neighbor has a gas stove so she boils water so at least those of us who only have electric stoves can have hot tea, or heat up soup. I have a car and took a neighbor to the market to buy soup and a few essentials for her, and her 95 yr old mother who has beginnings of dementia. Just walking a few houses down the street to sit at a neighbor's for a half hour to warm up with heat from the stove and this old lady was disoriented. She and her daughter don't have money for a hotel. Neither do I. Besides bundling up with 3-4 layers, and a hat, you can't get warm, constant cold feet, cold hands consumes you. On top of that, we have no contact with the outside world except for newspapers or radios if we have them, no phones, spotty or non-existent cell service - the temperatures are continuing to go down in next days. The local library is closed or I would have gone there to get warm.

Ladies it is easy to sit in your warm homes and pass judgment with one brush on those of us in the dark and cold. In my boat it reflects a lot of ignorance. Like the Indian saying, "you don't know til you walk a mile in my shoes."

You are really cold hearted. Many who left as told have no home to come back to! No clothes, no personal items left, no where to go. I live at the Jersey shore and we were not told to evacuate. Besides where were we to have gone? The storm was massive. I would had to have drivne hundreds of miles away to escape. Have you seen the news at all? Any clue to the millions left w/o power across 9 states! I work at a local weekly newspaper and I stayed to get the paper out before the storm hit. We got hit pretty hard where I live near the bay but not as bad as the rest of the coast. I lost power briefly and am so thankful for what I have. This is not about who stayed or left. It is about the total devastation of homes, workplaces, and the beautiful beach towns that will never be the same. Keep your damn money and go get a pedicure. Obviously you have never been in a position to make that decision to leave your home or been faced with such a storm. Shame on you. Stay off these sites that are here to help people, No one wants to hear your holier than thou crap.

I totally agree bythebay. Also, when you live by the coast of a huge body (or bodies) of water, expect things like Sandy to have a good possibility of happening & equip yourself accordingly (ae: insurance, having the financial means to be able to stay away during an evacuation or the supplies to sustain yourself if you do stay during a storm, etc). If you cannot afford it or cannot bear something such as a natural occurrence such as a hurricane, then MOVE farther inland!!

Also, complaining about how bad you have it is NOT going to get things done. Natural disasters happen all over the world, many of which occur in places like India where they have a mud hut (if they're lucky) tops to live in and when a tsunami or another natural disaster occurs, that mud hut is totally/completely/utterly gone and there are no heated shelters that provide food/necessities/bed/roof over their heads. There are no FEMA trucks, no Red Cross trucks, &/or no government aid that EVER shows up for them. They realize that that's life and sometimes terrible bad luck falls in their direction and they realize that no one is going to sustain their livelihood(s) except for themselves, that each is responsible for his or her own survival, & crying about what they are or are not getting is not going to get them anywhere. They pick themselves up & rebuild. Somehow I feel that those Indians whine much less and feel much less entitled to things than some of the Americans I've recently seen/heard/read about in terms of their own sad situation(s) because of Sandy.

And one last comment for the record: Yes, I have been in the same shoes as those affected by Sandy. I've had to sit in an unheated broken home for multiple days (5) because of a situation that occurred that was out of my hands, none of my responsibility, & could not have predicted. So I DO have room to judge here.

Correction: I meant I agree Freestyle lady

Suz-4621830: You must have quite a life. It's sad that you lack empathy for others, especially during a natural disaster. It's incomprehensible to me that after watching the RockCenter broadcast, you felt contempt, not compassion. You believe that everyone has supportive people in their lives, but you come here to write hateful, victim-blaming comments instead of offering support. Lastly, you write that going to a hotel is cheap and write as if all people have the option to pay for hotels. You're out of touch. Worst yet, you're unkind. I hope you find happiness someday.

Exactly! Stop complaining that the VOLUNTEERS are not at your door ready to clean up YOUR mess. Why do we not see people trying to clean up the destruction? People should clean up their own houses and then go and help their neighbors when they are finished with their own homes. If people would do that, there would be no need for "government" to swoop in and do the work for you.

Pam- With all due respect......why do you have to be TOLD to leave? You said "we were NOT told to leave." It's all over the news. There was constant coverage on the news for DAYS.

txladie, you're not sorry. You're on a site that provides information for people who want to help shocked people now living in a disaster zone. You're here to blame people, to criticize the emotional responses of victims of a natural disaster. Instead of offering a supportive comment from your experiences with a hurricane, you tell them to stop whining. I'm sad for you.

can you tell me if there are any places close to baltimore md that are accepting donations or anywhere close???

Completely agree.

Absolutely.

There is no place in America (or the world) where disasters cannot and do not happen. We should all be responsible citizens and be prepared for any eventuality. There are many websites that can inform you/us on how to prepare for and respond to disasters. I`m always working on my families disaster response plan. Do you know what you would take if you were told to evacuate? I have thought of what I would take and I tried a pack out to see what it would be..... three book boxes worth. I can pack them in 15 minutes..... children's school memorabilia, family photos, insurance papers. That`s it. Everything else can burn or be washed away.

We are coming up to winter snow storm season and I am reviewing my blizzarded in plans again. I know I need more jugs of water (one gallon per person per day for food and drink). I know I need to get more staples in the pantry that can be eaten with minimal heat. I also know that when a storm approaches..... we need to fill gas in all our vehicles and in our gas cans (for the snow blower). We live in the country and when a blizzard hits it could be days before we are dug out....one year it took a front end loader to make a one vehicle wide strip down the street.

Does any of this compare to a hurricane? Possibly not but a close friend just lost their home to one of the fires out here in the west. Disaster that wipe out everything can happen anywhere. We have to all be prepared.

WELL said!

Hello,

Yes if you look on the main page to your left it will have a list of "how to help" click on the very bottom where it states "for more ways to help" it has names, phone numbers and web sites. I do recall for sure the Humane society, I believe they had one locally to donate to as well as the Main Humane Society to donate to.

Amen!

Yes, your Canadian neighbours on the east coast are worried and concerned as well - many of us have friends and family in the affected areas.

This storm was so large that it would have been impossible for eveyone to leave - asked to evacuate or not. As mentioned not everyone has the means, money, connections, health or ability to leave. I'm sure that next time we see such a storm on the horizon there wil be more head to safer ground and there will be more better prepared.

The damage done here is so severe that it will change the face of the east coast and its affected neighborhoods from now on out - never to be the same. I find it disheartening that americans can treat each other the way I see some comments directed here. True, some of the affected are unrealistic in their expectations; such a large disaster cannot be expected to be addressed immediately to everyone's liking by the aid organizations and the utilty companies. To be fully ready for such an event aid organizations and utility companies would have to at least triple their resources and even then clearing the damage and rebuilding would take a long time.

The severly afffected survivors of Sandy must realize that thier lives will never be the same - and thier fellow americans should have compassion for their immediate plight and the struggles they face in the days, weeks and months to come. And unlike Katrina those left homeless have some cold weather coming in the not so distant future to be concerned with.

I suggest more compassion for your fellow americans and look into yourselves and imagine if you and everyone around you for blocks just lost everything - how would you feel and what would you expect? Do what you can to help your countrymen financially and maybe get off your butt and go help with your own labor and get to know some of these unfortunate people.

I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and am looking into taking a week off from work - getting a handful of people to come with me and helping in whatever way we can - demolition, rebuilding assistance, some easy meals on a BBQ - whatever we can do. If anyone reading this can direct me to info on the best place and time please say so.