Robin Hood Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund Passes $11 Million in Contributions

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Robin Hood – New York City's largest poverty fighting organization – today announced that the Relief Fund it reactivated in the wake of Hurricane Sandy has received more than $11 million in contributions from generous donors.  Initially established after September 11, 2001, the Relief Fund raised and distributed more than $65 million to help survivors and families of victims of the 9/11 attacks.   

Since Hurricane Sandy struck, Robin Hood staffers have been on the front lines of the disaster, working with dozens of community groups who serve thousands of needy New Yorkers on a daily basis. In the aftermath of Sandy, many of these groups – including food pantries, shelters, job training programs, and schools – have gone into overdrive, supplementing their usual life-saving work with additional efforts to help those who have been displaced and adversely affected by the storm's devastation.  And with the one-two punch of last night's Nor'easter which brought snow, soaking rain, and colder temperatures to the region, help is more desperately needed than ever.

"Trusted and established partners like Robin Hood rushed to provide aid in a way that was immediate and instinctive," said David Garza, executive director of the Henry Street Settlement located on New York's Lower East Side.  "By enabling us to respond instantaneously to the crisis created by Sandy, Robin Hood made it possible for us to deliver thousands of meals and emergency supplies to people who were stranded in high-rise buildings and others who were without power as a result of the storm."

The Robin Hood Relief Fund is providing assistance to organizations throughout the greater New York-area that are helping the most vulnerable victims of the storm.  Among the more than 75 groups that have already received $3 million in emergency grants from the Robin Hood Relief Fund are:   

• St. John's Bread & Life in Bedford-Stuyvesant, which sent its mobile soup kitchen to the Rockaways and Coney Island to provide thousands of hot meals and bags of groceries to families and individuals who have been without power since the storm struck;
• Women in Need (WIN), which worked in conjunction with NYC's Department of Homeless Services to set up an emergency 200-bed facility to provide shelter for dozens of families temporarily displaced by the storm – and they did it in less than a day; and,
• Food Bank for New York City and City Harvest which were able to increase the amount and quality of food provided to their direct and mobile food distribution networks in the most devastated communities immediately following the storm. 

"For 24 years, Robin Hood has been providing housing, food and care for our neighbors in need throughout New York City, and we're using that expert knowledge to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy," said Robin Hood executive director David Saltzman.  "Our staff and community partners have had boots-on-the-ground in some of the hardest hit areas including Red Hook, Staten Island, Breezy Point and Coney Island, and they are making it possible for people to get the vital services they need."

Because Robin Hood's board generously underwrites all administrative and fundraising expenses, 100% of donations to the Relief Fund will go directly to improving the lives of those affected by the storm and its aftermath.

To learn how to help, please visit www.robinhood.org.

About Robin Hood

Since 1988, Robin Hood has held steadfast to a single mission: fight poverty in New York City. We find, fund and create programs and schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York's poorest neighborhoods. We work closely with more than 200 organizations to help them reach their full potential and perform rigorous assessments to ensure accountability. In addition, Robin Hood's board of directors pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100% of every donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.

Media Contact:
Patty Smith
Robin Hood
212-844-3562
[email protected]

SOURCE Robin Hood

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