Update #10
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
9:00am
Good Morning -
As power comes back, the state of the Diocese is coalescing into one of more stability and trending toward more uniform conditions throughout the Diocese. There are still pockets without power, but it is hoped that all power will be restored by this Sunday.
In terms of perspective, in comparison with the Dioceses of Long Island and New Jersey, as bad as it has been, we have suffered the least. This has meant that our focus as a Diocese has been our congregations and our wider local community. I believe that, thanks to each of you, we have done extremely well in caring for each other and for our neighbors. As we continue to be restored to pre-hurricane functioning, once we're ready, we will begin to look for ways we can support our neighboring Dioceses of Long Island and New Jersey.
In looking at their websites, (http://www.dioceselongisland.org/index.php) and (http://newjersey.anglican.org/), Long Island has posted the following advice about responding. Please note their use of the word 'respond', rather than 'react', and their use of the word 'discern', which implies some time and consideration before responding:
"Remember that in discerning how best to respond in the aftermath of Sandy, a congregation has to look first at three factors: its mission, its capacity as a congregation (e.g. facilities, skills present and availability etc), and the actual needs and issues present in the community. Where these three intersect a congregation will find its appropriate response. It may be carried out alone or in conjunction with other parts of a deanery, or with a local community response." (http://www.dioceselongisland.org/newsDetail.php?Possible-Areas-for-Parish-Involvement-583)
Update:
Conditions are unchanged since yesterday, except that more power has come back and that Staten Island is now seeing more relief agencies at work there. Chuck Howell has arranged with the American Red Cross for them to use Christ Church New Brighton as a site for their operations. Winnie Varghese is continuing her efforts to provide care for St Mark's in-the-Bowery's neighborhood today through Friday. Please sign up to help her at our EDNY Volunteer Opportunities Facebook page or email ednyvolunteers@gmail.com.
Approaching northeaster: Cold, rain, and possible snow are currently predicted for this storm. The big fear is that power will go out again. I am asking those responsible for congregations to have a plan in place so that if the power does go out, your parishioners, especially those who are at risk, will have a place to go that's warm and the means to get there safely. If you have power, you may want to consider opening your church or parish hall as a neighborhood center for your parishioners and neighbors for the night.
An excellent resource is New York State's Emergency Management Office website, http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/ , which provides information on shelters and warming stations, tips for after the Hurricane, disaster assistance (including how to apply for FEMA). My suggestion is to print each section of interest to you so that you have a hard copy in case the power goes out again.
Spontaneous volunteers: Every disaster brings individuals and groups who genuinely want to help. Theirs is a precious gift that needs to be used wisely and as part of the coordinated response. We are now in a phase where the coordinated response by relief agencies to provide services is in place in our Diocese, primarily in Staten Island.
Except for Volunteers responding to the posts on our EDNY Volunteer Opportunities Facebook page, Bishop Dietsche and I have concluded that the diocese and its parishes are not set up to use, supervise, or coordinate non-local spontaneous and independent volunteers.
The best way for individuals and groups from outside our area to help the diocese and our region is to work through an accredited relief agency as part of the overall response. If you are approached by a spontaneous unaffiliated volunteer or group who wants to help, please refer them to the appropriate relief agency or to me. (This includes congregations outside the Diocese, schools, church schools, etc.)
Region II: Alon White, the Region II Coordinator, asks that her office number, 845 782-8535, ext 11, be tried first when you want to call her, as the reception on her cell phone is variable.
Food collections: Our goal now is to continue to collect food for Staten Island and to restock the food pantries in Region II. Because of the storm damage in Region II, our plan is to have one parish in each deanery in Region II as a designated food storage site.
Many of your congregations have been exceptionally generous - thank you. As gasoline becomes more available, we are asking parishes from Mid-Hudson and any from Region II to bring their donated items to St Stephen's, Pearl River; St Peter's, Peekskill; or to our new destination center for food collection, Christ Church, Tarrytown, (43 S. Broadway, NY 10591, 914.631.2074). In the Bronx and Manhattan, where cars are less available, we are working to coordinate volunteers and food pickups.
Thank you for all that you are doing - you are doing a great job.
Good luck with the storm - let your area coordinators know what happens. (Mid-Hudson: Val Stelcen; Region II: Alon White; NYC: Stephen Harding).
God bless you all,
Stephen+