It’s going down to 28 degrees tonight. And the next few nights are also expected to bring temperatures that are below freezing.
We have heat. We have shelter. We have food and water.
It could easily be a different scenario. We live in upstate New York, relatively close to New York City. We suffered during Hurricane Irene. Many of my neighbors experienced flooding and some of them lost their homes. The path of Hurricane Sandy affected us, yes, but somehow we escaped the brunt of her wrath.
I know that all of you have watched in horror as television networks have documented the devastation. Our local news comes from New York City, therefore, the coverage we have seen has been even more extensive. Short of permanently turning off the television, there has been no way to escape the very real and heartbreaking losses my fellow Northeasterners are suffering. Nor would I want to.
Everything else pales in comparison.
We’ve given to the Red Cross.
The neighboring town is collecting donations that will be transported to Staten Island, Long Island, New Jersey, Hoboken, wherever help is needed. We will be contributing.
As you enjoy your Sunday in your home, with heat and water and a bed to sleep in, with food to eat and clothes to wear and a car with gasoline in the tank, please take a moment to contribute something to those victims of Hurricane Sandy. Ten dollars. That’s all. More, if you can; but everyone, even those of us who are struggling to pay the mortgage and our bills, has ten dollars. Our fellow citizens need your help.
Thank you.
will do the news and images are so devastating.
i wish i could go there and help some how.
praying for continued efforts and oh so thankful for my life’s simple pleasures.
Claudia i am happy that you and Don are okay and that you are reaching out to help others with your blog.
Thanks, Sharron. Such sadness.
Claudia, another good way to help is to give blood through the american red cross! I am going on Wed.!
Great idea, Clara.
Well said Claudia. ~Hugs, Patti
Thanks, Patti.
I so agree Claudia. My heart is so heavy for those suffering. My SIL was just about to fly out to stay with her son and cancelled the day before the storm hit and now his house is gone. Her son is safe but I am so sad for their loss and what could have happened if she went. We just spent one day without power yesterday but we had our generator and no storm had blown through just work on the lines. It is all so tragic. I have already donated and the Salvation Army too. Their overhead is very very low and have been on the scene since the first days. Thanks for talking about this. Glad you are well.
I’m so sorry to hear of the loss of the house. I’m happy to hear he is safe.
Claudia – We do so take for granted all of our everyday conveniences, don’t we? It just makes my heart ache to see all of those pictures on TV. So glad you survived without any major damage.
Judy
The images are horrible, Judy. It’s hard to take it all in.
Hubby sent $100 to help out…my sweetie :) I feel so bad for everyone affected.
Good for your husband! Anything – a few dollars on up, will help.
With several friends in New York and family in The DC area and Connecticut, I have even more reason to pray for those in Sandy’s aftermath. I Have donated to the Red Cross and join you in encouraging others to do so. The relief is so needed.
Yael from Home Garden Diggers
Thank you, Yael. I hope your friends and family are safe and warm.
Thank you Claudia…we all need to do our part! That could have been any of us, and we all need to remember that!
Yes, indeed!
Claudia we all need to help our neighbors in their time of need. This has been so devastating!
hugs, Linda
Linda, how is it at your house? Do you have power yet? I’m hoping that it will be restored, if it hasn’t been restored already.
Glad you did not suffer any damage! It was an awful storm.
Kris
Truly awful and heartbreaking, Kris.
Claudia.. thank for the nudge.. I’d meant to donate for days now, but your suggestion did the trick. We donated $50 and I put a post on Facebook asking others to join us in donating.. so your words have been magic!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Bless you, Teresa!
Just sent money, thanks for posting this. I can’t even begin to comprehend what they’re going through.
Good for you, Annette!
We have many friends and aquaintances in the Hudson Valley area as well as in the city. Our friends survived the storm but are dealing with the aftermath and temps–many without electricity still. We have given to the efforts through I.D.E.S. which was wonderful when our small town in Kansas was devastated by a flood that wiped out 900 homes back in 1999 on Halloween night. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Sandy. Thanks for letting us know that you are okay.
Hi Labbie – could you let us know what I.D.E.S is?
Thanks for the reminder, Claudia. I donated to the Red Cross this morning.
Great!
Thank you for this, dear friend. It is important to remind everyone to let their heart give.♥
I agree, Beverly. It’s so easy to do and it makes such a difference.
Blessings, Claudia, and thanks for caring about those who have been hit so hard. It gives so many of us pause as we acknowledge just how much we have to be thankfor for. My husband and I will be contributing to the Red Cross, too.
My prayers are with so many of our fellow blogging friends who have been so deeply impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
Sincere wishes,
Carolynn
Yes, Carolynn – and there are many of them who still don’t have power!
I just sent a donation to my BFF who is a professor in NYC and lives in Queens. She and her husband (another prof) can’t get to their jobs so they have been spending their time delivering supplies to shelters and to victims. She is housing friends who are without power, too. Heat and cold are both awful, but freezing is not an option for our fellow Americans. My husband’s office has a branch in NYC, so I feel a particular pull to help there. That being said, I don’t want to forget NJ. This reminds me so much of Katrina in that NJ is like the Coast while NYC is like NOLA. But I’m probably repeating myself.
XO,
Sheila
It’s certainly been devastating for a lot of people..I feel very fortunate..