Community Corner

Tarrytown Chef Serves Up Sandy Relief

Among the many organizing relief efforts to help victims of Sandy in Rockaway and Staten Island is a Tarrytown chef serving food to those in need.

Thanks to the various groups and individuals who are sharing information on their Sandy relief efforts with Patch. If you are organizing a trip or drive please post it at tarrytown.patch.com/announcements and email me at krista.madsen@patch.com.

Tarrytown Chef Donates Time to Food Distribution Center in Rockaway

Thanks to Eadie Shanker for sharing this information about her son’s efforts in Rockaway. Important to note, Michael Shanker is looking for volunteers to help serve his food at the distribution center at 41st Street Community Center, B 41 and Beach Channel Drive. So, if you are looking for a way to help, just show up and help out! 

Find out what's happening in Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From Eadie on Nov. 9:
My son, Michael Shanker, a resident of Tarrytown, NY , a chef trained at the CIA and with 20 years of experience, is organizing the preparation and service of food in an area that has not received any city or Red Cross help at the 41st St. Community Center at Beach 41 st Street and Beach Channel Drive.

Last Friday, 800 meals were served there plus 200 for a neighboring site.  He is able to help there and provide food for other neighboring areas, but is dependent upon donations to cover the cost of the food.  As more people are learning of the food service, he can only continue based on donations for food costs.

Find out what's happening in Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

An update from Eadie on Nov. 11:

Michael says the situation is very fluid and changing, but one thing is clear volunteers are needed and should just go to the 41st St. Community Center at Beach Channel Drive between 9 AM and 3or 4 PM.  Those who go to the center should ask for Michael the chef or Mike the managing supervisor who will put them to work.  They would be very grateful for help from more volunteers.

Michael does not have non-profit standing so donations cannot be sent to him, though he is trying to get help to cover his outlays for the purchase of food.  Often, people who come to the site leave a donation.  He has been promised funds to help reimburse him for his outlays, from a local organization and from the Mayor's office, but has not received funds yet. In the meantime, he indicates that he is producing food for a neighboring site.

Rotary Club of Port Chester-Rye Brook Heads to Rockaway

Thanks to Jack Zaccara of the Rotary Club for sending this information:

We have about ten people leaving from Port Chester Tuesday morning. We’re meeting between 6 and 6:30 at fellowship hall behind All Souls Parish (Parkway Drive, but the hall is on Linden behind the church. Mostly Rotarians from the Port Chester-Rye Brook club but also some folks from my organization, One World, and Sound Shore Toastmasters members… some of us belong to all of the above. We are bringing donations from White Plains Hospital staff where one of our Rotary members works, and work supplies such as shovels, work gloves etc.  rather than just drop things off we are putting in a full day’s work at whatever we are assigned. One of our members, Vincent Coakley, is coordinating with the Rotary Clubs on Staten Island and our meeting place there will be Father Capodanno Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue.

*Patch will update you on this trip when we hear back from Jack on Wednesday.

Birdie’s Runs Successful Donation Drive to Rockaway

Read about Birdie’s Auto Spa in Rye’s successful donation and delivery run here.

Katonah’s Hair Wharf Runs Successful Donation Drive to Rockaway Park

Hair stylist Nicole DeMaria organized a donation drive and trip to deliver much needed supplies to people in Rockaway.

After observing the devastation in Rockaway during an impromptu trip to deliver clothing and blankets to people in need on Nov. 4, Katonah’s Hair Wharf stylist Nicole DeMaria was inspired to organize a bigger relief effort and return with even more help for Superstorm Sandy victims in Nov. 11.

Hair Wharf owner Carol Gattucci agreed to allow her business to be used as a donation drop off spot and for DeMaria to send an email asking clients who were interested in donating to drop off items all week long.

Throughout the week Hair Wharf clients came by with dozens of the needed items on DeMaria’s list: baby wipes, diapers, shovels, garbage bags, flashlights, and much more. Others generously donated money out of their pockets to go towards purchasing additional home cleaning items.

By Saturday night the Hair Wharf had collected a pick-up truck’s worth of needed items and more than $600, which was spent on additional items for Rockaway at Target.

On Sunday, DeMaria and her family, father Frank, mother Gerry and sister Katie, all Yorktown residents, filled up Frank’s truck used for his Bronx-based glass making business, Zecca, and spent their whole day Sunday delivering the donations to people cleaning out their houses in Rockaway near Belle Harbor.

They also delivered four large trays of chili, donated by the Wooden Nickel Deli in Katonah, to people who were tired and hungry with no means of getting a hot meal.

The DeMarias first went to 130th Street and Rockaway Beach Blvd. and found neighbors gutting their basements and cleaning their homes. The night Sandy arrived the water level rose more quickly than anyone had prepared for, neighbors said. A few blocks from where the DeMaria’s handed out shovels and other cleaning supplies, 19 houses were completely burned to the ground.

The most needed items were: garbage bags, buckets, mops, push brooms, shovels, bleach, work gloves, paper towels, sponges, first aid supplies, hydrogen peroxide, headlamps (were a big hit), and batteries. People also needed winter coats and sweatshirts.

They met a resident from 140th street and Rockaway Beach Blvd. who was turning her home, still powerless, into a makeshift distribution spot for neighbors. The DeMarias dropped the rest of their supplies off there, where the Red Cross was also set up with a table of supplies, where another group of volunteers set up a large pot to cook the 25 pounds of chicken they brought for the residents.  

Peekskill-Cortlandt Residents Deploy Hot Meals in Rockaway

A group of about 20 Peekskill-Cortlandt residents, led by Peekskill’s Chris Crawford, collected donations and volunteered at a distribution center on Nov. 11. They cooked meals and walked and drove around neighborhoods delivering the very well received hot meals to people who had needed them. Cortlandt residents Linda Lopresti and Angela Davis said they were impressed by the positive attitudes of people who were dealing with flooded homes. 

Montrose Residents Host Breezy Point BBQ

A group from Montrose went to Breezy Point on Nov. 11 with grills, 500 burgers, 50 lbs chicken, 100 lbs of ribs, 600 hot dogs and 10 lbs sausage and peppers. They setup tables and grills to feed local residents, workers, military folks, and others who needed a good meal. Donations came from family and friends and Cole’s Market. 

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