More Than 1,000 Volunteers
Unite for ‘Day of Action’ to Help New York City Victims of Hurricane
Sandy
The Clinton Foundation
and Clinton Global Initiative, with Team Rubicon, NYC Service, and New York
Cares, mobilize more than 1,000 participants to join President Clinton and
Chelsea Clinton in a day of volunteer service in the Rockaways
New York, NY – On Sunday, November 18, the Clinton
Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) brought more than 1,000
volunteers to the Rockaways in Queens to participate in “A Day of Action for New
York,” an effort to bring relief to one of the areas hardest-hit by Hurricane
Sandy. Joining President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, volunteers spent more
than 5,000 hours clearing debris, cleaning out flooded basements, cleaning the
beachfront, and distributing disaster relief supplies and coats to aid in the
recovery of a community still reeling from Sandy’s devastation.
“The impact of Hurricane Sandy has devastated families and communities along
the East Coast, including many right here in New York City,” said Chelsea
Clinton. “Yesterday, the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative
were able to bring people and organizations together for a Day of Action for New
York to aid in recovery efforts. By working with friends, partners, and local
community members, we were proud to be able to make a small but meaningful
difference in an area hard hit by Sandy.”
The Rockaways, an 11-mile peninsula in Queens facing the Atlantic Ocean, was
one of the areas most impacted by the storm. Thousands of residents experienced
extensive damage, including loss of power and homes destroyed by floods and
fires. Recovery has been slow for the many victims still without heat, power,
and running water.
On Sunday, more than 1,000 volunteers, including staff, supporters, and
friends of the Clinton Foundation, and CGI members and commitment makers, worked
at locations throughout the Rockaways. More than 500 volunteers helped
home-owners clear debris with Team Rubicon, a CGI member whose CGI commitment
includes engaging veterans and military family members in 1.5 million hours of
volunteer service in communities nationwide by July 2013. The remaining
volunteers, in coordination with NYC Service and New York Cares, worked at the
Key Foods and St. Francis Church distribution sites to hand out emergency
supplies and canvass door-to-door to provide crucial information to residents.
Volunteers were also dispatched to Rockaway Beach to help with park cleanup
efforts and to Peninsula Library to help distribute winter coats.
In addition to the immediate response to Hurricane Sandy, the Clinton
Foundation and CGI recognize that most disaster response involves a multi-year
effort and will continue to explore the long-term challenges of how to best
coordinate efforts, forge partnerships, and strategically respond to the
devastating effects of man-made and natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy.
Through its ongoing focus on “Resilient Cities,” CGI is looking for new ways to
strengthen infrastructure and be better prepared to protect vulnerable
populations from the rising sea levels, droughts, and increased frequency of
storms that coincide with climate change.
Please visit
clintonfoundation.org/main/get-involved/take-action/support-hurricane-sandy-relief-efforts.html
to learn of other ways to support disaster relief efforts or commit volunteer
hours in your own community.
###
About the Clinton Foundation
Building on a lifetime of public service, President Bill Clinton established
the William J. Clinton Foundation with the mission to improve global health,
strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment
by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into
measurable results. Since 2001, President Clinton's vision and leadership have
resulted in more than 4.5 million people benefiting from lifesaving HIV/AIDS
treatment; more than 15,000 U.S. schools building healthier learning
environments; and more than 33,000 micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners,
and smallholder farmers improving their livelihoods and communities. And
President Clinton has redefined the way we think about giving and philanthropy
through his Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). To date, CGI members have made
nearly 2,300 commitments, which have already improved the lives of more than 400
million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented,
these commitments will be valued at $73.1 billion. For more information, visit
clintonfoundation.org.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative
(CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to
the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together
more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading
CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the
media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,300 commitments, which have
improved the lives of over 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When
fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at more than
$73.1 billion.
CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions
to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which
brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing
challenges in their community or around the world. For more information,
visit
clintonglobalinitiative.org and
follow us on Twitter
@ClintonGlobal and Facebook at
facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon (TR) unites the skills and experience of military veterans with
first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams into crisis
situations. TR offers veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and
empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves. For more about
Team Rubicon, visit
www.teamrubiconusa.org.
NYC Service
The NYC Civic Corps is the signature initiative of NYC Service, which was
launched by Mayor Bloomberg in April 2009 to meet his State of the City pledge
for New York City to lead the nation in answering President Obama's national
call to volunteerism. NYC Service is meeting its goals to make New York City the
easiest place in the world to volunteer, target volunteer efforts to address the
most pressing local challenges, and promote service as a core part of what it
means to be a New Yorker. NYC Service aims to drive volunteer resources to six
impact areas where New York City's needs are greatest: strengthening
communities, helping neighbors in need, improving education, increasing public
health, enhancing emergency preparedness and protecting our environment.
Since its inception in April of 2009, NYC Service has engaged over 2 million
New Yorkers in a wide range of volunteer activities, from beautifying
neighborhood blocks, to providing tax assistance to low-income families, to
volunteering to teach free fitness classes at City recreation centers, to
coating rooftops with reflective white paint to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
NYC Service oversees 25 new or expanded volunteer initiatives and the
comprehensive website, located at www.nyc.gov, has made it easier for New
Yorkers to find opportunities to make a difference. More than 560,000 unique
visitors to the NYC Service website had access to over 5,700 volunteer
opportunities.
New Yorkers can find opportunities to serve their communities by visiting
www.nyc.gov or by calling 311.
New York Cares
New York Cares is New York City’s largest volunteer organization. Founded 25
years ago, New York Cares runs volunteer programs for 1,200 New York City
nonprofits, city agencies, and public schools across the five boroughs. Last
year, 54,000 New York Cares volunteers served on hands-on volunteer projects
helping 400,000 New Yorkers in need. New York Cares offers a full range of
volunteer programs that meet critical social needs, including helping children
learn to read, preparing meals for homeless and housebound people, helping low
income students get into college, and much more. For more information, visit
newyorkcares.org.