Volunteer Events are scheduled on Long Island January 18 – January 27
(Long Island, NY) In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his vision of building a “Beloved Community”, volunteers are serving their fellow Long Islanders in need. Events are taking place throughout the week to kick off a year-long program dedicated to the importance of community service and the need for “highly skilled” volunteers. Volunteering is necessary…from building a disaster preparedness kit to rebuilding a home; Long Island residents can count on volunteers.
NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced the creation of a state-wide collaborative disaster response and preparedness initiative which aims to recruit “highly-skilled” volunteers to assist in on-going Sandy recovery efforts and to develop a network of volunteers who will be able to respond in future disasters. Superstorm Sandy illustrated the importance of volunteering on Long Island. Volunteering has become an essential part of the rebuilding of lives of individuals and families that were affected most by the storm.
The State University of New York (SUNY) school system on Long Island has partnered with the New York State Office of National and Community Service and the Long Island Volunteer Center to lead the effort to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy to service at our Long Island SUNY colleges.
If you are interested in covering any of these events, please contact us: #845 608-7394. Here are the events throughout Long Island:
Stony Brook University & Suffolk County Community College: 200 volunteers will assemble disaster preparedness kits. Along with a disaster preparedness kit building event, disaster relief organizations including All Hands, American Red Cross, Nechama, RSVP Suffolk, and UMCOR. In addition, Dr. Stephen Post who studies “kindness and the impact of giving” at Stony Brook University will speak. The kits will be donated to EOC Suffolk and the Gerald Ryan Outreach Center. Date/Time: The event will be held at Stony Brook University on Saturday, January 18, 2014 from 10am – 12pm.
Nassau Community College: 250 student volunteers will assemble disaster preparedness kits and earn a cupcake. The disaster preparedness kits will be donated to the LI Center for Independent Living, Helen Keller Foundation and the Long Beach Senior Magnolia Center. Representatives from these non-profits will be on hand to thank the volunteers. Dr. King’s speeches will be heard throughout the event. The President of Nassau Community College will be the keynote speaker. Date/Time: The event will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2014 from 11:00am – l:00pm in the CCB Building at Nassau Community College.
SUNY Old Westbury: 300 student volunteers will assemble disaster preparedness kits. The kits will be donated to The Inn and EOC Nassau. There will be a keynote speaker, Scott Reich, college council member and author of Power of Citizenship: Why John F. Kennedy Matters to a New Generation, who will be speaking about a lifetime of service. Students will be asked to pledge to volunteer once a month and identify a “buddy” to assist each other in reaching that goal. The kits will be delivered by volunteers to the organizations where they will have site tours to learn more about the non-profits. Date/Time: The event will be held at SUNY Old Westbury on January 24th from 10:00 am to Noon. The volunteers will deliver the kits and tour the non-profits from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
Farmingdale State College: Farmingdale State College: The College announced that the Architecture and Construction Management Department will continue to work with fire departments, veteran’s facilities, senior centers, community centers and parks to rebuild and recover from the damage that Superstorm Sandy left behind. Over 40 highly skilled volunteers consisting of students and faculty have prepared existing condition plans, energy audits, sections, elevations and other details using AUTOCAD. They have worked on projects in West Sayville, East Farmingdale, Islip, North Lindenhurst, North Amityville, Wyandanch, North Babylon. Bayport, Bohemia, Sayville, Smithtown, Patchogue, Medford, and Hauppauge. Farmingdale State College will be the site for kicking off a volunteer fair to be held during National Volunteer Week in April.
Events throughout Long Island include rebuild and legal clinics:
Touro Law Center: On MLK, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20th). Touro Law Center will be holding a Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the law school’s public service mission, starting at 11:00 am through 2:00 pm. It is designed for members of the public, in addition to disaster relief nonprofits who have clients with outstanding legal needs.
Valuable information to Sandy-affected households about disaster resources to help promote the recovery, including ways to pursue ongoing flood insurance claims will be provided. Clinic faculty and attorneys, together with six students enrolled in the Disaster Law Clinic will be meeting with Sandy-affected households.
Rebuilding Together Long Island: On MLK, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20th) Disaster volunteer group Rebuilding Together Long Island will be building a wheelchair ramp for a Sandy homeowner.
UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief): On MLK, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20th) volunteers will be working on a rebuild in Long Beach. This home is close to completion. They are hoping to finish the home on MLK Jr, Day. Homeowners, contractors and volunteers will celebrate as the homeowners move back into their home.
Friends of Long Island: Volunteers will be working on the Superstorm Sandy rebuild throughout MLK Weekend helping LI residents who suffered most from Supestorm Sandy return home. The homes are located in Mastic Beach (2 homes), Babylon, Lindenhurst and Freeport. They will also be working with Our Lady of Lourdes High School Basketball team from Poughkeepsie, New York. The basketball team will be playing Manhasset High School on Saturday, January 25th and on Sunday the 26th they will be working with Friends of Long Island to help with rebuild recovery efforts at a home in East Rockaway. Date: Sunday, January 26th.
Friends of Freeport: On MLK, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20th) volunteers will be painting a veteran’s home in Baldwin. They will also be working on a rebuild on a home in Freeport. Date: Saturday, January 18th.
National Grid: Approximately 20 highly skilled-based volunteers from National Grid will be working with disaster relief organizations, New York Says Thank You and Nechama, to assist with subflooring for a family in Suffolk County. Date: Friday, January 24th.
Nassau Bar Association: The Nassau Bar Association will be having free legal consultation clinics for Superstorm Sandy Recovery and Mortgage Foreclosures. Date/Time: Monday, January 27th from 3:00-6:00 pm.
Press Contact: Laura Messano, Long Island Volunteer Center, #845 608-7394
