Robin Hood Announces $10.5 million in Hurricane Sandy Relief Grants; Total granted thus far exceeds $45 million

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Robin Hood has announced the latest round of grants to organizations providing assistance to victims of Hurricane Sandy.  At a meeting of its Relief Committee on February 6, Robin Hood approved $10.5 million in funding to 50 groups in the tri-state area; the vast majority of funding ($8.2 million) will go to organizations providing vital housing-related services. 

Robin Hood has granted more than $45 million of the $67 million it has raised for Sandy Relief from generous donors around the world.

"Robin Hood is working diligently to get Hurricane Sandy relief funds into the communities that are struggling to rebuild from the storm," said David Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood.  "We have already granted 100% of the funds we raised prior to 12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief, and we are on track to grant all concert funds within 100 days of 12-12-12."

Grants approved at the February 6 meeting include:

HOUSING
$8.205 million

Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group
Ocean County, NJ
$2,200,000
and
Monmouth County Long Term Recovery Group
Monmouth County, NJ
$1,500,000
Ocean and Monmouth Counties were the hardest hit counties in New Jersey.  These long term recovery groups will help victims of Hurricane Sandy bridge the gap between available resources and their needs, including mental health support, donated goods and cash assistance to rebuild and replace household possessions.

North Walke Housing Corporation
Norwalk, CT
$250,000
This grant will provide housing rehabilitation and rental assistance to up to 150 low and moderate income Norwalk residents.

Person-to-Person
Fairfield, CT
$150,000
This grant will enable Person-to-Person to assist at least 60 vulnerable households with emergency financial assistance.

Operation Hope of Fairfield
Fairfield, CT
$140,000
Operation Hope operates a food pantry, community kitchen, shelter programs, clinical support services, homeless prevention and other critical services.  The majority of this grant ($100,000) will go toward helping individuals and families get back into their homes by providing $500 - $5,000 in emergency assistance.  The remainder will go toward re-stocking the food pantry and community kitchen, and case management support.

Borough of Belmar
Monmouth County, NJ
$150,000
The goal of this grant is to help up to 50 families receive the assistance they need to return to their homes that have been damaged by the storm.

Little Egg Harbor Volunteer Storm Relief Committee
Ocean County, NJ
$300,000
Approximately 150 homes in Little Egg Harbor suffered severe damage as a result of the storm.  This grant will furnish low and moderate income residents with the necessary supplies and materials (tools, safety equipment, rental assistance) to help families get back into their homes.

Freeport Community Development Agency
Freeport, LI
$500,000
FCDA has secured over 100 trained volunteers (plumbers, electricians, carpenters and other skilled trades) from the Southern Baptist Organization who will provide their services to needy and distressed Freeport homeowners.  This grant will cover the cost of building supplies and other materials to return families to their homes.

Union Beach Disaster Relief Fund
Monmouth County, NJ
$235,000 (renewal)
To cover demolition costs as well as building materials including sheetrock, insulation and plywood to enclose 60 homes for the winter so that renovation work can continue.
and
$725,000
To purchase and furnish four new manufactured homes for residents of Union Beach who lost homes to Sandy.  These homes will serve as a demonstration project for rebuilding in Union Beach and across the tri-state region. 

Nechama:  Jewish Response to Disaster
Long Island
Up to $350,000
Nechama provides its home clean-up and repair assistance free-of-charge through volunteer labor supervised by professional staff.  This grant will support the repair and rebuilding required to return 130 households to habitation, as well as the salaries of four staff members to oversee more than 500 volunteers who will be performing the work.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Staten Island, Inc.
Staten Island
$250,000
NHSSI provides comprehensive housing and financial counseling services for low and moderate income individuals and families on Staten Island.  This grant will help approximately 35 families get back into their homes.

AHRC of Nassau County
Long Island, NY
$200,000
AHRC serves physically and developmentally disabled children and adults throughout Nassau County, and suffered large-scale losses as a result of Hurricane Sandy.  This grant will help defray the costs to replace transport vehicles and group home repairs, as well as cash emergency funds to assist 50-75 low-income families who are clients of AHRC.

Jewish Renaissance Foundation
Middlesex County, NJ
$175,000
Based in Perth Amboy, JRF serves 40,000 low-income residents by providing job training, health care, affordable housing and family/youth services.  JRF will use these funds to provide gift cards for replacing furniture, bedding, appliances, and other household goods, and to cover the salaries of two case managers to help families who suffered significant impact from the storm.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance of West Jersey
Atlantic, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Burlington, Cape May and Camden Counties, NJ
$175,000
PDA provides volunteer labor and building supplies to areas in need of support.  This grant will provide construction-related support including building materials, volunteer supplies, construction supervision and administrative services.

Portlight Strategies
NYC and New Jersey
$125,000 (renewal)
To provide building support and services to assist disabled individuals who need to make repairs to their homes, such as replacing/rebuilding wheelchair ramps.  This grant will cover building materials, tools, supplies, and staffing to help dozens of families.

Richmond Senior Services
New York City
$100,000
Located on Staten Island, RSS is helping 20 senior citizens whose homes have been damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy.  Funding will go toward home repairs and replacement of household items.

Gerritsen Beach Cares
New York City
$75,000 (renewal)
GB Cares plans to provide building materials and supplies (including sheetrock and insulation) to over 1,000 households that need repairs.

Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey
Union County, NJ
$75,000
Jewish Family Service (based in Elizabeth) serves low-income and elderly residents by providing a broad range of social services.  This grant will enable them to provide direct financial assistance (up to $1,000 per family) to individuals in need.

New York Emergency & First Response Squad of Hamilton Beach and Howard Beach, Inc.
New York City
$75,000
The Squad has helped numerous families cope with the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy by providing financial support via its Emergency fund.  This grant will allow them to continue to provide relief to needy families through direct payment of urgent bills and providing gift cards for the purchase of furniture, bedding, clothing, cleaning supplies, and other critical household needs.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Archdiocese of Rockville Center
Long Island
$75,000
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been helping Hurricane Sandy victims throughout the tri-state area.  This grant will provide cash assistance for 90-100 individuals (averaging $500 apiece), and will support a relief coordinator to help track requests for assistance and donations.

Long Island Volunteer Center
Long Island
$65,000
and
AmeriCorps St. Louis
Long Island
$25,000
These two groups have been working together to help families displaced from their homes on Long Island.  This grant will enable the two groups to deploy volunteer "muck and gut" teams who will work to clean up 180 homes damaged by the storm.  Funding will also provide project management.

Love in the Name of Christ
Monmouth County, NJ
$55,000
This grant will allow Love INC to help 50 low-income, displaced Bayshore residents replace lost and damaged furniture.

Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department
New York City
$50,000
The PBVFD has acted as a relief center for the community, coordinating thousands of volunteers and distributing donated goods to storm victims.  They continue to work with volunteer crews on rebuilding homes in their community and funding will go toward providing building materials and supplies such as sheetrock, insulation, tools and lumber to help with repairs of 150-200 homes.

St. Rose of Lima Parish Outreach
Long Island
$50,000
Demand for food, clothing and home goods has doubled since Hurricane Sandy and St. Rose has struggled to keep up with demand.  Funding will help families purchase furniture, household supplies and other essential items, as well as replenish St. Rose's food pantry which serves low-income residents and seniors.  Approximately 100 individuals and families will be served through this grant.

Youth Consultation Services
Bergen County, NJ
$40,000
YCS provides residential care, in-home and in-community care to thousands of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The YCS George Washington School in Hackensack sustained severe damage, and needs to replace the school kitchen equipment, computers and servers, as well as furniture and adaptive equipment.  Funding will go toward making repairs and replacing these vital items.

RVC Foundation
Long Island
$35,000
RVC was established in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy to assist families in the communities of Long Beach, Island Park, Oceanside, Belle Harbor and East Rockaway.  This grant will enable RVC to provide cash assistance to an additional 10-15 households in need.

Oasis Christian Center
New York City
$25,000
Located in Midland Beach on Staten Island, Oasis Christian Center suffered severe damage from the storm.  In spite of this, they galvanized local volunteers who pumped out water, removed debris and cleaned 200 homes in November and December.  Oasis temporarily suspended their relief efforts to focus on repairing their facility, but are once again in a position to help individuals recover; this grant will go toward providing building supplies, furniture and other household items to families in need.

Women's League Community Residences, Inc.
New York City
$20,000
WLCR in Seagate is a group home for teenage girls with developmental disabilities, the majority of whom are non-ambulatory.  The basement of the residence was used for therapy, recreation, counseling, and laundry; this grant will repair the basement to make the space functional once again.

Oceanside Community Service, Inc.
Long Island
$15,000
Oceanside Community Service was established to provide for people in the community experiencing financial hardship; since Hurricane Sandy, their services have been in great demand.  This grant will provide gift cards for home improvement stores and emergency cash assistance.

HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH
$1.005 million

Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Burlington, Ocean and Monmouth Counties, NJ
$375,000
Deborah proposes providing free comprehensive pulmonary and cardiovascular evaluations for residents of Burlington, Ocean and Monmouth Counties, and will provide the same services to first responders, construction workers, volunteers, contractors or any other individual directly affected by the storm. This grant will fund laboratory testing and physician screening, a portable X-ray unit, and outreach efforts to reach those at risk of mold exposure.

Afya Foundation
New York City
$200,000
Started in 2007, the Afya Foundation was founded in order to provide donated medical supplies and hospital equipment to disaster areas and underserved communities around the world.  This grant will enable Afya to provide 50 medical practices serving 25,000 low-income and immigrant individuals in Brighton Beach, Staten Island and Coney Island with supplies and medical equipment.

Long Beach Medical Center – The Family Care Center
Long Island
$200,000
Long Beach Island's only hospital remains partially closed following Hurricane Sandy.  As a result of the storm, the hospital laid off more than 750 employees and is able to serve only a fraction of its former patients.  This grant will allow the Family Care Center to re-open in a temporary location where staff can care for patients.

OHEL Children's Home and Family Services
New York City and Long Island
$100,000
OHEL cares for 3,000 individuals through foster care and provides preventive services for families at risk, operates mental health clinics and domestic violence shelters as well as residential services for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities.  This grant will restore services at OHEL's Lifetime Care Foundation in Far Rockaway and will provide trauma counseling services in Nassau County to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Hispanic Counseling Center
Long Island
$80,000
This grant will provide bilingual, trauma-centered counseling to 250 poor and uninsured Latino residents in Nassau County.

Public Health Solutions
New York City
$50,000 (renewal)           
This grant will enable PHS to continue funding for the WIC site at Luna Park Housing in Coney Island, as well as continued outreach in Far Rockaway and Coney Island as well as food stamp enrollment and on-site applications support.

BENEFITS COUNSELING
$833,000

Single Stop USA
New Jersey
Up to $518,000

Legal Services of New Jersey
New Jersey
Up to $510,000 (renewal)
The grant will provide continued funding of legal services throughout 2013 to aid low-income victims of Hurricane Sandy.

AARP Foundation
Atlantic County, NJ
$8,000
The grant will go toward supporting tax preparation for working seniors. 

Community Health Law Project
New Jersey
$125,000
CHLP provides legal and advocacy services to low-income persons with disabilities.  This grant will fund legal staff to provide direct legal representation for 100 Sandy-affected individuals, focusing on housing issues, FEMA/insurance concerns, appeals for denied benefits and other critical services.

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
New Jersey
$100,000 (supplemental)
This grant will enable VLJ to provide assistance to NJ residents in need of legal services, including staffing of legal clinics in high need areas, support for a legal hotline and additional full-time staff to help approximately 1,500 clients seeking legal aid.

Touro Law Center's Disaster Relief Clinic
Long Island
$80,000
In January 2013, Touro Law Center opened a Disaster Relief Clinic to help individuals with FEMA and insurance appeals, contract disputes, foreclosure issues, landlord tenant cases and other storm-related legal issues.  Funding will help the clinic handle 100+ cases.

Brooklyn Jubilee
Coney Island
$10,000 (supplemental)
This grant will provide access to on-demand translation services for Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking families in need of legal assistance.

FOOD
$310,000

City Harvest
New York City
$250,000 (renewal)
City Harvest lost 17 of its 18 trucks which provided daily food delivery to its 500+ members throughout the city.  They have continued to make deliveries using rented trucks, but they need to restore their fleet.  This grant will enable City Harvest to purchase two additional trucks so it can continue to get emergency food where it's needed most.

Mary's Place by the Sea
Monmouth County, NJ
$25,000
Mary's Place by the Sea is a six-bedroom respite center for women with cancer.  Following Sandy, Mary's Place established a Relief Fund to deliver meals to former guests, and this funding will enable them to continue food service/delivery to more than 60 families.  Money will also go toward gap funding for the purchase of needed household items for hurricane affected families.

Iglesia Cristiana Metropolitana
Coney Island
$20,000
This grant will support operating costs for the church's food distribution program that feeds 250 people daily, including many undocumented immigrants.

St. Margaret Mary Pantry
New York City
$15,000
This grant will restock this food pantry in Astoria, Queens, that serves nearly 1,800 people per month.

EDUCATION
$135,000

Friedberg JCC Abraham Sonabend Early Childhood Center
Long Island
$100,000
The building which housed the Early Childhood Center was severely damaged by the storm; this grant will support the rental of four portable classrooms to allow them to accommodate 48 more children until their building can be reopened.

Long Beach Island School District
Ocean County, NJ
$25,000
For the two months following Sandy, the district offered families free Kids Care before and after school to help parents cope with the loss of jobs, finding new employment and new housing, and other crises that arose from the storm.  This grant will cover payroll and supplies to enable the district to continue to offer Kids Care free of charge for an additional six months.

Caffrey Conroy Learning Center
New York City
$10,000
Located in Breezy Point, the Caffrey Conroy Center provided a variety of year-round programming for children and families.  As families return to Breezy Point, they will depend on Caffrey Conroy to be an outlet for children.  Funding will cover replacement supplies (such as desks, chairs, tables and other essential items) so Caffrey Conroy can continue to serve families.

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
$50,000

Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund
Tri-state area (NY, NJ and CT)
$50,000  
The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund assists firefighters and their families with educational, medical and equipment needs. This grant will allow them to re-equip first responders (including volunteer firefighters and ambulance corps) whose equipment was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. 

About the Robin Hood Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund
Founded in 1988, Robin Hood is New York's largest poverty-fighting organization, and has focused on finding, funding and creating programs and schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York's poorest neighborhoods.   The Robin Hood Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund has granted tens of millions of dollars to organizations throughout New York's tri-state region that help individuals and families recover from the devastating effects of the storm.  In addition, Robin Hood's board of directors pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100% of your donation goes directly to organizations helping victims of Hurricane Sandy rebuild their lives.

For more information or to make a contribution to Robin Hood's Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund, visit www.robinhood.org/rhsandy.

Media Contact
Patty Smith/Robin Hood
212-844-3562

SOURCE Robin Hood

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