Baby Buggy Hurricane Sandy Family Assistance Fund

As the July 4th holiday approaches, Baby Buggy has helped the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) declare independence from Superstorm Sandy!  The VNSNY Early Head Start and Father's First programs in Far Rockaway just held an inspiring Grand Re-Opening ceremony at their beautiful new building, the Early Steps Family Center.  Baby Buggy was honored to be a part of this special day and participated in a joyous ribbon cutting ceremony on the roof playground. 

When Superstorm Sandy hit the Rockaways in October of 2012, the VNSNY program office was completely flooded and destroyed in a matter of hours.  In the end, they determined that rebuilding was not a viable option.  The teachers, social workers, and administrators found a building nearby on slightly higher ground that they dreamed would become their new family center.  Fifteen months later, on a gorgeous summer afternoon with the sandy Rockaway beaches in full view, VNSNY officially opened this incredible new family center. 

Since the storm hit, Baby Buggy has been working with our long-time partners at VNSNY to help their families with emergency assistance and long-term rebuilding support.  We have provided clothing, furniture, strollers, cribs, food, gift cards, air purifiers, school supplies, and more to meet the ongoing needs of the low-income families whose lives were turned upside down by Sandy.  We were thrilled to be able to help out with this Grand Re-Opening celebration too and helped with food, decorations, and donated Baby Buggy Beach Buckets filled with summer goodies for all the children in the programs.

Right before the ribbon cutting, a teacher in the Early Head Start program, Mrs. Hubbard, shared her vivid reflections on how Sandy affected her both personally and professionally.  Even though the teachers and other staff members had lost power and homes as well, they all came down to the site immediately following the storm.  They banded together to provide support for each other and to identify the immediate needs of the families they work with day in and day out.  She said that everyone was overjoyed when Baby Buggy staff showed up in a rented U-Haul truck filled with essential items.  Mrs. Hubbard recounted how Baby Buggy helped her personally as well when she received a portable heater for her apartment a few days after the storm.  She then joked, though, that while she didn’t actually have any power to plug the heater into at that point, it came in very handy once power was restored! 

The silver lining to the very dark clouds of Superstorm Sandy, though, is that the new center is now actually able to serve even more children and families.   The old center could serve 75 children and now they have the capacity to serve 185 in their amazing new space!  Baby Buggy will continue to support these resilient families and VNSNY staff members to ensure that they are free from the many challenges brought on by Sandy.   Happy Independence Day to all!

Links:

• Here is a great video on the event that aired on NY1!

While Superstorm Sandy is a distant autumn memory for many of us in the New York area, the devastation brought by this storm has had long-term consequences for many of the families that Baby Buggy serves.  With your help, Baby Buggy has continued to support these families as they work hard to rebuild their lives over a year after Sandy hit.  Many of the families we serve in the Rockaways are still struggling to find steady employment and housing.  The rebuilding process has been slow and disheartening, but signs of spring are finally arriving for many families!  Baby Buggy has started distributing bright spring clothing to families in need, including beautiful pink tutus just in time for Easter.  We have also provided maternity clothing to pregnant moms as they prepare for their newest arrivals.  Since so many apartments flooded in the Rockaways, clothing has been an ongoing challenge--many families lost every article of clothing they owned during the storm.  As some families finally secure new rental housing, we have also been able to provide much needed household items and furniture for the children as they settle into their new homes.

The Davis family is especially looking forward to starting anew this spring.  They have two children who are alums of our Head Start partner in the Rockaways, two who are currently enrolled, and an infant.  Superstorm Sandy was truly a nightmare for this family.  Before the storm hit, both mom and dad were working regularly in non-salaried positions in Far Rockaway.  Their two older children were enrolled in the local elementary school and their two younger children were part of the Head Start program.  One of the younger boys has special needs and was receiving enhanced care through the Head Start program.  When the storm hit, their apartment flooded and in one fell swoop, they lost their apartment, everything they owned, and soon after, they both lost their jobs since their places of employment were also completely destroyed by the flooding.  By working with Head Start staff, they were able to find a shelter in Brooklyn that was supposed to be a temporary housing situation.  This family has been commuting for over an hour each way back to Far Rockaway every day with all five children in tow so the children can continue attending their regular schools and the Head Start program.  They thought this was especially important for their son with special needs, as maintaining the services he is getting is so important to them.   Because they have had ongoing challenges finding employment, they have not been successful in finding new rental housing either.  The staff at the Head Start program have been visiting rental properties with the family on a regular basis and they finally have some strong leads for apartments that have been fully repaired that are close to the schools and can fit all seven of them.  During their very long time in the shelter, Baby Buggy has been able to provide new sheets and pillows, an air purifier, clothing, food, toiletries, and diapers and wipes for their littlest child. 

Superstorm Sandy is far from a distant memory for the Davis family and we haven't forgotten either.  When they finally secure their new apartment this spring, Baby Buggy will be there to help them with the household items they need to get back to some semblance of the busy but more secure life they had before the storm completely uprooted them.  We know that spring is just around the corner for this family and we will continue to work with families like the Davis' as they rebuild their lives and families.

Links:

• Check out the Baby Buggy website for more about our work!