ANHD 2016 Building the Community Development Movement
Among the heartbreaking stories resulting from Hurricane Sandy, there are also many heartwarming ones. Local community groups have organized an unprecedented response from Day 1 – helping elderly and homebound residents stay safe and warm, coordinating food and emergency supplies distribution, leading cleanup and repair, arraigning for emergency power in some areas that have been without electricity for days, and filling countless other needs. This response has come from across our city – not just from the areas that experienced flooding . Community organizations have not only been taking charge locally, but have been reaching across neighborhood and borough boundaries to deliver support to areas in need, often times being the first to respond with aid. Hard-hit neighborhoods have sacrificed to help even harder-hit neighborhoods. This response has been astounding, and incredibly inspiring. But it has not been surprising.
Because this is who we are. We’re neighbors and friends who don’t leave people behind in our communities, under these, or any, circumstances. We keep our neighborhoods strong and functioning, in steady times and in crunch time. We are the neighborhood infrastructure of this city, and when that infrastructure is needed, we respond.
ANHD is doing well after Sandy – our building was without power for a week, and phone, heat, and water are still spotty, but we are back up and running. We plan to continue as scheduled with our training programs, meetings, and advocacy. We’ve missed our work, and are glad to be back.
Thank you first responders, community groups, helpful neighbors, any- and everyone (and by our count, it’s everyone) who has been part of the incredible response of this last week. You are the reason New York has weathered the worst of this storm, and you are the reason why this city will recover and come back. We are excited and humbled to work with you in supporting our neighborhoods through this crisis, and in the rebuilding that lies ahead. You have been amazing.