By Laurel Parker West | National Program Director
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!
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