Photos of Sandy

Hi Readers!

a crew i worked with doing ripouts and demo on homes

I’m back in Western New York now.  And while I have so many stories to tell about what I’ve seen and experienced down state in the hardhit areas of Hurricane-Superstorm Sandy – I’m also super busy with work and real life.   I know I’ll carve out some time to publish some well-worded stories about my time there.  And I’d also love to report on the everyday heroics I witnessed, the amazing people I met, and I want to express to others around the nation and world just how serious the situation is there.

It’s BAD.

So much work is yet to be done.  So much help is still greatly needed.

taking a quick break one day in staten island

 

push it real good – going uphill with a cart full of supplies to be delivered to homes

 

I’m going to run for now.  But should you be interested in checking out my photos from Staten Island and Long Beach, I’ll post the links to the public albums.

Staten Island Facebook Album

Long Beach Facebook Album

Thanks for reading – and please keep the folks of NY and NJ in your hearts and prayers.  They need all the love and assistance we can muster.

XOXO, HHR

Sandy Relief: So You Wanna Help? Here’s How NOW…

Hi Everyone!

me, all strapped up to do work!

I’ve been here all week working and helping and it’s been a lot of things: crazy, intense, and amazing to see the strength and resilience of those who have been hit the hardest.  I don’t have time for a full-fledged update right now, but I wanted to make sure to get the word out about a few things.

Check out this post I published on Snoo.ws to read about what I’ve been doing. (I work for ICUC, and Snoo.ws is ICUC’s blog – it’s part of my job!).  Also, look for me on social media (www.facebook.com/rose.m.duggan and @RadRoseDuggan) to see pics!

If you want to help now, the needs have shifted from what originally was asked for.  Canned foods and clothing have rolled into NY and NJ in surplus amounts.  So hang on to your winter coat, there are other ways to help.

typical scene on staten island in hardhit areas

NEEDS:

People still do NOT have power.  Their needs are: generators, gas, extension cords, batteries of ALL sizes, flashlights, candles, lighters, head lamps.  Portable stoves or ways to cook without power is rad as well.  And can openers!  Cans everywhere and yet… no way to open them without making a mess.

Homes that have been flooded MUST be gutted, stripped and re-built.  Any TOOLS are needed, work gloves – I cannot stress enough the importance of work gloves and dust masks / respirators.  Shovels of all kinds, axes, sledge hammers, crowbars, the suits you can wear over your clothes to protect your skin from insulation fibers – WORK GLOVES, DUST MASKS.

The air is full of debris and dust from all the demo – it’s crazy.

Clean up: In homes where the storm surged flooded the entire basement and first floor, there is this black mucky mud everywhere you can see.  BLEACH is a needed item.  BLEACH, please send BLEACH!!!  There is also a profound need for cleaners of all kinds, rubber gloves, mops, brooms, scrub brushes, sponges, rags, towels, paper towels or shop towels. Buckets, mops, mops, mops. and BLEACH!

Moving stuff around: If it has wheels, it can be used.  Bags, backpacks, luggage – anything that people without access to cars and gas can use to get around and get supplies around. Wagons and wheelbarrows, bikes, etc. have become necessary entities.

SENDING MONEY:

Of course groups like The Red Cross and other big names have been helping.

If you’re looking for smaller, more direct organizations to get involved with, I would suggest looking for grass roots agents.  The people-driven, community based groups are having a profound impact.  Local restaurants have been donating food and coffee – you could call a locally owned coffee shop in a hardhit area and offer to sponsor coffee for a day to relief workers.

My favorites are:

192 Ebbitts Street, Staten Island NY.  You could send Home Depot, Walmart, K-mart, or Visa/Mastercard gift cards to this address, with “care of Gina” or “care of Frank” on the envelope, and people who can help will be able to get in touch.  Another great contact point for grassroots work is a man named Mike “Loco” Hoffman – find him on Fb or on Twitter @TheMikeLoco.

The Unitarian Church of Staten Island: 312 Fillmore Street  New York, NY 10301; (718) 447-2204 has also been amazing.  Check them out on Fb: https://www.facebook.com/uucsi?fref=ts

Occupy Sandy has been an incredible force in organizing people and dispatching volunteers to where it’s most needed.

And of course, FDNY and NYPD have been helping around the clock.  This Fb group, FDNY Incidents, has been helping people meet needs as well: https://www.facebook.com/FdnyIncidents?fref=ts

And finally… THE HOLIDAYS

I’ll be working on a grassroots project we’ve dubbed “Sandy Claus” working to bring Christmas, Hanukkah  and the holidays to kids/families who’ve been affected by Sandy.  We’ll be working out ways to connect donors to those who could use some cheer.  Stand by in the next week or so for info on that idea to develop!  I will let everyone know.

 

…

 

THANK YOU so much to all who’ve shown support, interest, love… all your kind thoughts, prayers, donations and LOVE have gone so far down here.

I’ll check back in soon with more pics and with stories I’ve been hearing all week. 

yikes.. this too, is sadly a typical scene you can come across.

the muddy, mucky, streets are full of debris, trash, filth, and more…

me, all strapped up to do work!

basement stairs in the home of my new friend kim – it was totally full of flood water and muck, the destruction is astounding. and it’s like this for so many people.

the warehouse, again

typical scene on staten island in hardhit areas

bringing supplies home to home, helping people who are working so hard to save what they can, gut and rebuild what they can’t

me, at the new york container terminal warehouse – it’s a huge space, full of donated items. the problem is getting the stuff out to the people.

Sandy Relief: How I’m helping, what you can do, lists, info, + more.

It’s been a busy weekend of emails, calls, and pulling things together.  My little mission to help out Sandy Survivors is actually coming together.  I’m pretty impressed with myself, not gonna lie.  I think that after living in Florida for two and a half decades, dealing with hurricanes is just in my blood, it’s a normal part of life to me.  And well, if you don’t know by now that I tend to be the take-action-do-gooder type, well then you hardly know me at all.

Generous hearts make the world go ’round.  And coming into contact with truly generous people who are so excited and happy to give is a truly humbling experience.

i’m so grateful to anyone and everyone who’s pitching in to help.

When I started the tiny idea to see what I could do to help the Sandy Relief efforts, I had no idea what to expect.  The call for supplies, donations, and any kind of help went out all over the Interwebs.  I’ve posted on Craig’s List Buffalo, reddit, Facebook, all kinds of organization’s Fb pages, Twitter, and more.  And well it hasn’t been a downpour of support, there’s been more than a trickle and it’s really exciting.

i stand by my cheesy lil’ logo!

A few people have chipped in some financial support, I have a pal for the car ride down who will be staying in the NYC-area long term to do clean up work wherever she’s needed, and I have a couple helpful people found out about my plans online and have been putting together donations that we can bring with us.

TWO AMAZING STORES have generously donated items to the effort as well:

Smith’s True Valu in Irving, NY and the Sears Hometown Store here in Fredonia (just down the street from where I live) have been super awesome.  Once we get this whole thing underway, we’ll give them official shout outs and post photos of the items they provided.  We’re hoping in the next day or so to find some more stores will to donate supplies, or at least cut us a break on the cost of items.

NEEDS LIST:

thanks to mj for the link to this awesome list!

The clean up efforts are paramount right now, and thus some things in huge demand are:

• dust masks
• gloves – rubber, work, leather, all kinds
• mops, mops, mops
• paper towels, regular towels, shop towels
• tools of any kind, the smaller and more mobile – the better (and remember, power in nonexistent or limited), crowbars, screwdrivers, hammers
• work boots in all sizes
• contractor-style garbage bags
• tarps, plastic sheeting
• duct tape, rope, zip ties
• garbage bags
• gas cans
• food, formula, water, snacks, OTC meds
• winter clothing, blankets, bedding
• and finally – stuff for kids to occupy the boredom and help life their spirits: toys, games, etc.

If you have any desire to get these items to me, I’m more than happy to take them to NYC for you.  There are plenty of grassroots efforts of people who I personally know can use and need these items right away – with zero overhead going to “operating costs,”  just straight from the shelves of stores into the hands of those who need them.  If you trust me, paypal some cash money my way: happyhippierose@gmail.com is my paypal handle!

If you’d like to send your own care packs, there are several places that you can ship stuff to:

Warehouse donated as in-take center

New York Container Terminal
Attn: Sandy Relief Warehouse
300 Western Avenue
Staten Island, NY  10303

or

Staten Island Recreational Association
599 Fr. Capodanno Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10305
Attn: Megan Delmar

….

she seemed so nice at first, but woah did she turn out to be a super bitch!

As many of you know, Duggs (my husband) grew up on Long Island.  His family and friends have been seriously impacted by this storm.  My brother-in-law, and mother-in-law are both still displaced, and unable to return home,  In fact, since we have so many loved ones from Long Beach it’s crazy to try and name everyone and explain the carious states of disarray their lives are in right now.   If you’d like to give money to the Long Beach recovery effort –  here’s a great group:

City of Long Beach Relief
One West Chester Street
Long Beach, NY 11561

…

There are TONS of groups using Facebook and Social Media to get the word out.  Some great resources to learn more are:

• Occupy Sandy NY
• Occupy Sandy NJ
• NYC Service
• Team Rubicon: Iraq and Afghan vets who now volunteer for disaster recovery
• Cancel the NYC Marathon – started out as a live petition and has turned into a great source of info
• American Red Cross
• Hurricane Sandy Relief 

So. Whatever you end up doing – be it making a huge donation to the Red Cross or just sending well-wishes and prayers to those affected, every contribution is wonderful and they all work together and come together to help put things all back together.  Major disasters like this are so terrible, so many lives are just ripped apart, and millions of people are experiencing high levels of stress, sadness, anger, devastation, and more.

Yet… time and time again we see in the darkest of days the most startling displays of true beauty.  Strangers coming together to help each other out, true generosity and kindness, we see helping hands and warm hugs given out freely.   There’s no time machine or magic eraser that can un-do the tragedy… sadly, what’s done is done.  But when given the option of HOW to react, seeing everyday people pick the good, noble, wonderful choice – is an amazing thing to bear witness to.

For everyone who is suffering: you have my warmest thoughts and prayers, as well as my sincere encouragement.

For everyone who is helping:  you have my gratitude and thanks, you are awesome and inspiring.

For everyone who doesn’t know what to do: listen to your heart and you can’t go wrong.

…

Thanks for reading, y’all!  The donations, support, and well wishes my little caravan have been given are truly inspiring.  And my only hope is that we do some good and help out as many people as we possibly can.  Want to help?  Paypal me some moolah, and I promise it will go to great use:  happyhippierose@gmail.com 

XOXO, HHR

Buffalo’s Stampede of Love: Sandy Relief Effort (Yeah, I’m starting a relief project)

Hurricane Sandy sucks, downstate is a mess, and many of us with hearts and consciences want to do our part to help.  So rather than twiddling my thumbs and hoping someone else takes care of it, I’m stepping up.

Sandy, you tramp! You messed up so much stuff.

I’m starting a relief drive for people affected by Hurricane Sandy in NYC and Long Island.

The project is tentatively called, “Stampede of Love.”  Because it’s coming from Buffalo.  Get it?  I’m so witty.

Facade collapse on a building in Alphabet City – what a nightmare.

This ain’t a 501c3 and I’m not creating an official organization.  If you trust me at my word, and I hope you will, let’s do this and help out some folks who really really need it.   Money, nonperishable food, WINTER CLOTHES, and any and all transportable household items are welcome.  I’m willing to physically collect items people are interested in donating, I’m also willing to be the hub for fiscal donations and see to it that 100% of monies collected go to this effort.  The ONLY thing (other than handing it directly over to a reputable shelter and/or organization down state) that I’d use money collected on is potentially a U-haul or trailer should we get that much stuff donated.  I’m assuming and hoping what we gather will fit in a large SUV, which I plan to rent out-of-pocket as part of this effort.

Today is Wednesday… ideally, I’d love to get to NYC this weekend.  I don’t think that’s quite possible though, and so I’m aiming for a trip in about ten days time, the second weekend in November.   If anyone is interested in helping with that aspect of this whole project, please let me know.

Massive storm surge is the culprit for tons of damage.

Can you even imagine? Such devastation.

I’m interested in collecting goods at my home, or we can meet up in the Walmart parking lot in Fredonia.  I’ll be in North Buffalo for a good while on Saturday.  And well, otherwise, just hit me up and we’ll figure something out.  My email is happyhippierose@gmail.com and I look forward to hearing from you.

Here’s a copy of the post that just went live on Craig’s List:

Hi CL Buffalo,

My name is Rose. I live in Fredonia / Sheridan now, but I grew up in Florida. If there’s one thing I know – it’s how terrible hurricanes are, and how LONG and intense the clean-up and get-your-life back process is. NO ONE CAN DO IT ALONE. My husband and I have lots of family and friends who’ve been affected by Hurricane Sandy down state, in NJ, Rhode Island and elsewhere. We think as fellow New Yorkers, we should and could help out those in the NYC/Long Island area. Thousands of people are homeless and living in shelters, everything they own = destroyed.

We’re going to start with sending money, but the need for household items and clothing is incredible. It’s chilly out, y’all, and some people have lost every scrap of winter clothing they owned. I am interested in driving down with some donated items. Maybe not this weekend, but in about ten days? People will still need things then, that’s for sure. If there was anyone else in the area of WNY interested in volunteering to drive the stuff down (instead of me and my hubs going) – I’d be MORE THAN WILLING to help you organize the clothing and donation drive, as well as donate gas money.

I have no desire in creating an official organization – this is all honor system, y’all. 100% of anything I get will go downstate to those in need. I’m working with some orgs in NYC to find out the areas of greatest need. WNY is full of huge hearts and generous people. Let’s do the right thing and help where we can. Wanna know more about who I am? Check out http://www.happyhippierose.com – it’s my personal blog. You’ll see I’m just a silly, albeit very honest and nice person, and I just want to help. We have a lot of family on Long Island and in the city, and it’s just been awful seeing the devastation.

If you want to donate clothing, household goods, food, whatever, contact me: happy hippie rose (AT) g mail (dot) com – and we can go over drop offs and pick ups. I’m in Chautauqua County now, yes – but have plans to be in North Buffalo Saturday during the day. We can make other arrangements as need be.

ANY AND ALL MONETARY DONATIONS MADE TO < happyhippierose @ gmail .com > via paypal will go to shelters and/or the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy help efforts. Again, honor system here. If you don’t trust me, don’t give. If you want to help, this is a quick and easy way.

Once the ball gets rolling I will update more with specifics. I’ll also use my blog to coordinate things. THANK YOU ALL – have a safe and Happy Halloween, All Saints Day, and God Bless.

-Rose Duggan

I really just want to do the best I can to help.  This storm was awful and came at such a terrible time of year – less than two months ’till Christmas / Hanukkah, and worse than that: it’s COLD out up here.  People need protective clothing and their homes.

Any and all support is welcome, even if it’s just wishing me luck.

Thanks for reading!  XOXO, HHR

Where You At?

Well now.  I’m not quite sure how to broach this delicately, or if it’s even proper to mention such things aloud.  But in the habit of being born without filter and an unwavering need to always solve the issue(s) at hand… I’ll confess:

Readership is down, yo.  Way down.

i’m one sad buggie =(

In fact, I’m seeing about 10% the average of readers I used to see.  So, what gives?  Am I boring these days?  Am I writing about things that no one cares about?  Is Western New York so boring and Hawaii was so awesome?  I’m trying to gauge the correlation between the periods of heavy readership and the topics that I discussed and posted on vs. these times of slimmer pickins.

Other blog friends have encouraged me, explaining that views-by-the-number will wax and wane, that things will go up and down. That more importantly than the stats page of my Dashboard is the community I have here.  This is a sentiment with which I heartily agree.  To my regular readers, the ones who comment and whose blogs I follow – whose lives I share: I LOVE YOU AND I THANK YOU!  I feel like I have the best readers ever, and through this silly little blog of mine, I’ve made all kinds of friends and contacts I had never imagined.

But plaguing me still is that gnawing issue: to those who have chosen to overlook my trusty page, here: Did I do something wrong?

would you like more pooch pics?

I know that such feedback is uncomfy and awkward.  No one wants to be the friend of mine who comes along and says, “Hey Rose, you’ve lost your edge!”  I get that.  No one wants to be hurtful.  Well, if you’re a troll than you do.  But there’s a way to help me out and be constructive while trying to leave my pride intact.

I think I’m a good writer.  I fully acknowledge that my content has shifted some, and that I’m not writing as regularly as I once did… that perhaps the time constraints of my job and the move have over-shadowed my zest for blogging.  In simple words:  I’m probably not giving the effort here that I used to.  I admit that, and I sincerely apologize.  It’s not fair to have a blog and ask for readership and want to make friends if I’m not on my A-game.

But that said, I feel that since taking on a job in writing and social media – the caliber of my writing has vastly improved.  My craft is honed, my tools sharpened daily on the stones of the Internet as I analyze, report, and write, write, write.

So…

Help me out!

i bought a new blender, wanna read about smoothies and protein shakes? we can do that.

Do you crave different kinds of content?  Do you want more hippie stuffs, like crunchy money saving ways (a post I have in drafts right now).  Do you want to hear about eco-friendly habits that are easy to adopt?  Gardening?  Do you want more about Happy Hippie Rose at play… like hiking stuff?  Outings?  Running, nutrition, and/or training – fitness stuff?  Did you care about my health and now you’re bored when I don’t gore you with details of the doctor’s office?  Do you want more photos and crafts?  More recipes?

running and training stuff – boring or do you want more?

we can talk about music…

more book reviews perhaps? laters, baby!

Or just more… ME?  Am I not being honest and vulnerable enough?  Do you want to hear crazy stories and revelations from my personal life and psyche?  We aim to please, after all.  (Ha! See what I did there?  Maybe some more cleverly placed pop culture references would tickle your fancy).

Or do you crave controversy?  Want me to get political and preachy?  Shall I talk about faith more often?  Daily struggles?  Politics?

Do I end too many a sentence with a preposition?  Am I arrogant? Aloof? Not naked enough?  Too married?  Not discussing romance to your liking?  Do you need more pooch pics?

Whatever it is that you’ve originally come here for, and now you find a lack of, LET ME KNOW!  I can’t fix what I don’t know is broken.

If I’m boring as all get out, you can say so.  Honestly: I’ll probably be sad; but for the sake of self improvement and delivering a blog that I love and will be proud of… I’m willing to go through the potential pain of exposure to difficult truths.

Thus, I ask that you lay it on me.   Feedback, please.

gardening talk? or do you come here for my sexy good looks? two birds with one stone right here? (oy… i am joking-ish, you know).

for real though, we can talk all about gardening. and we should!

If you don’t want to comment on in here, safely email me from the privacy of your own email client!  Happyhippierose@gmail.com will get you right to my green little eyes, and I’ll try my best to respond in a timely manner.

That’s another thing you know, as a reader of many blogs – I have my own pet peeves, and I try to avoid those.  Ya know, I hate commenting on a blog and having the author NEVER reply to myself or any of the others who comment.  I do try to get back to everyone!

My suspicions are that it’s a combination of timing (it’s summer y’all), content, and irregularity of posting, with a sprinkling of commitment issues and lack of effort, creativity and revelation on my part.  All of which I vow to improve.    Not only do I want you to like me – because honestly, I do – but I want this blog to serve some purpose.  I want to inspire kindness, happiness, fun.  If I enlighten just ONE person to experience a lifestyle that’s more gentle on this planent or towards one another, well then I’m happy as a clam!  If the trials through which I’ve been fuel strength in just one reader, I’ll be pleased.   If by being myself, open and vulnerable, anyone out there can connect – this blog is worth it.  This isn’t Live Journal, I don’t need such a fancy record of my life just for myself – I want to serve a purpose.  So if I’m missing the mark,  I need to figure out why my shot is off and correct.  If we were at the range, I’d know that I’m anticipating the shot too much and wavering on the trigger.  But when it comes to this her blog o’ mine… I’m grasping at straws.

Do me a favor, and just hand them to me, will ya?

i can do arts and crafts! i can, i mean it!

gadgets. we can gadget gossip. whatever you like, just lay it on me!

Thanks – I mean it.  Thank you for reading and thank you for any insight you can offer.

 

MUCH LOVE, 

Happy Hippie Rose

PS. If you’re a loving unwavering reader and never sensed that I’ve effed up or slipped at all – then bless you!  Could you maybe tell me why you come back?  What it is you expect and enjoy over here in my small corner of the Interwebs.

 

And PPS – Please, I hope this doesn’t reek of desperation the way it likely does.  My intentions are altruistic as possible.  I just want to be good, damnit.  Really good.  And I know that comes from genuine work, trial and error… but I feel like this is part of getting me there too.  Okay, I’ve said enough.  I’m out.  *Braces for the worst*