Disaster Relief

Long Island Disaster Relief Trip

By: Lynnette Lockwood

        On the weekend of April 5-6, 2013 seven people from Alfred State College went to Long Beach in Long Island, NY to help with post super storm Sandy Disaster Relief. The group arrived on Friday afternoon and started work by ripping up the floors in 2 different houses. On Saturday the team was sent to a different house where the entire house was storm affected. The team with the assistance of the home owner, removed destroyed plaster that contained chicken wire supports, paneling from the walls, hammered down the nails, and ripped off boards. It was a very messy project and all the debris was placed into bags for disposal. On Sunday the team worked again on the same house, removing more plaster with chicken wire and bagging more debris.  Sweeping and vacuuming the floors added the final touch.

        The organization called All Hands organized the project with Alfred State College. The All Hands is a specific organization that helps in disaster relief. Citizens contact them and request help with no one being refused and there is no discrimination against people based on income level. The Alfred State team was housed by the organization in a local Baptist Church slept on air mattresses and had shower facilities. Upon our return to Alfred the owner of the house that we worked on had this to say about the Alfred State volunteers; “good early Monday morning, from bright sunshiny, formerly flooded, Long Beach, NY. No more walls at the old house, lots and lots of trash and lots of water damage. The all Hands Volunteers brought a vanload of Alfred State College volunteers who descended like locusts, removed the moldy walls, old construction, and gypsum that were old ghosts, and finding old wasps nests and termite damage. Two professors and a gaggle of students expressed their alternate careers as wreckers. I enjoyed having them wreck my home and now when we put the walls back it will not stink and it will be a bright and new construction. This is a good chance to upgrade the electric plant”.

        One thing I learned on this trip was that people are more appreciative than you would think. We went out to dinner one evening and we mentioned to the cashier that we were there to help with Sandy relief. Another customer over heard the conversation and told us that he was blessed for our help and that we were angels for helping. This experience made me want to help more and continue to help people in need. Volunteering makes you feel amazing and people really do appreciate it. My advice to you is to help in any way you can each and every day. You don’t have to go to Long Island, New York to volunteer, just get out there and see what kind of difference you can make in the lives of others.