How you can help post-Hurricane Sandy - donation and volunteer centers around Queens

[We will continue to update post this as we receive information – please contact us with tips if you have them. -Ed]

It was almost instantaneous – our friends and neighbors around New York City identified the needs of those hit hardest by the surges of Sandy and swung into action.

Want to help, too? The following resources are designed to connect your resources – good stuffs, man-power, funds, blood, and clothes – to those in need in the Tri-State region and in Queens.

American Red Cross  The Red Cross is uniquely qualified to handle the most serious issues affecting victims of Sandy. You can donate money,  skills, and importantly, blood, for which they are specifically asking. They’re also at work in the Caribbean, Sandy’s first stop in her path of destruction.

Or go directly to astoria.recovers.org, a site specifically focused on Astoria, at which you can request assistance, or offer skills and donations of useful items. Indicate what you need or what you have, and their highly organized system will empower you to receive or deliver help. As with most websites, you have to sign up to use recovers.org, but it’s a very quick process. In demand are food, candles, water, clothing and pumps. This is the work of Occupy Astoria Long Island City, part of the larger Occupy Sandy Relief effort.

Mayor Bloomberg recommends NYC Service to offer volunteer or monetary assistance, email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov and give them your contact information. You can also call 311. This is the organization also recommended by our local elected officials.

Citymeals on Wheels, while typically focused on elderly home-bound populations, is in high gear delivering food to those stranded without supplies in the wake of Sandy. Right now, they are most in need of volunteers.

For $25 you can make a donation to the ASPCA to rescue an animal from a disaster area.

A handful of organizations are focusing on assisting the residents of the Rockaways, Breezy Point, Belle Harbor and Howard Beach. Council Member Elizabeth Crowley has partnered with The Shops at Atlas Park to set up a donation center inside the old Border’s bookstore, which is open throughout the weekend from noon to 8 pm, 80-00 Cooper Avenue, Glendale (GMAP), (718) 326-3300. Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association is accepting donations “until people stop coming” at 84-20 Jamaica Avenue (GMAP), (718) 296-3735. St. Margaret’s Church in Middle Village, located at 66-05 79th Place (GMAP), is also open today from 2:30 pm to take donations for residents of these devastated areas. Drop off in the schoolyard. The Astoria CSA is also collecting on behalf of this population, at the ARROW Community Center, 35-30 35th Street, (GMAP).

World Play, the after school learning center, located at 77-34 Austin Street in Forest Hills, (GMAP), is taking donations.

The site rockawayhelp has a lot of information about relief efforts in the Rockaways specifically. It highlights “places accepting donations and volunteers and also giving out supplies and offering relief.”

Additionally, our friends at Brokelyn have shared their list of resources – food and water pickup locations and where to volunteer this weekend. In Queens for food and water pickups, head to Red Fern Ave and Beach 12th or Beach 51 and Rockaway Beach Blvd today between 1 and 5pm. For volunteering, the Rockaways are in the deepest need, so check out their list throughout the day.

UPDATES – DONATION COLLECTION SITES AND VOLUNTEER OPPS:

Astoria
Queens Mamas, 23-74 38th Street (GMAP), before 7pm, and through the weekend.

Powhatan Democratic Club, 41-05 Newtown Road (GMAP), Friday night 6:30pm-8:30pm, Saturday 1:30pm-4:30pm, Sunday 12pm-3pm

From Astorian and real estate broker Pete Horowitz: “I am accepting donations as well that I will be delivering to Long Beach NY hurricane victims. Please help get the word out. Info is here.” Pete’s office is here: main floor at 25-28 Broadway in Astoria (GMAP).

City Councilman Peter Vallone’s office at 22-45 31st Street (GMAP), “Collecting from 10-1 tomorrow [Saturday 11/3] and all next week”

Hope Church, 36-14 35th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 (GMAP)
“They are collecting the following items today, Sunday, November 4 and bringing them to the Rockaways: Cleaning Supplies
Garbage bags, Baby Items, Prepackaged foods (snack packs, etc), Flashlights, batteries, candles, matches – anything that helps bring light, Cooking Supplies and utensils (plastic forks, knives, etc), Coats, Blankets, Socks, Glove, Hats. Anything to keep people warm.”

LIC Market – “We will continue to accept donations for our hurricane recovery drive today (Tuesday 11/6), until 3:30pm. Here’s an updated list: BABY FORMULA, BABY FOOD, flashlights, lanterns, blankets, water, non-perishable food, blankets, towels, baby f ood and baby supplies, toiletries (including soap & hand sanitizer), cleaning supplies, paper towels, bleach, batteries, flashlights, lanterns, demolition tools (pry bars, sledge hammers, heavy duty garbage bags, tarps, rakes, shovels, push brooms, work gloves, goggles) batteries (AA, AAA, C, D), phone chargers, propane heaters, carpet removal tools, tack hammers & boxes, extension cords, heaters, generators”

Mad Donkey Bar and Grill, 32-07 36th Ave., Astoria, NY 11106 (GMAP). They are collecting the same and bringing to Red Cross centers.

Bayside
CJ Sullivan’s on 41st and Bell Blvd in Bayside (GMAP) is collecting donations for the people of Breezy Point [via twitter]

Queens Courier office in Bayside at 38-15 Bell Blvd. (GMAP)

Flushing
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd (GMAP), is a drop-off location for hurricane donations, noon – 5pm, for as long as needed. 718-463-7700
APEC, 228-06 Northern Blvd (GMAP), is site for new/newish clothing, canned goods, nonperishable food, manual can openers until 11/7. 718.229.4000 As per their Facebook page, they are no longer able to accept donations – “The outpouring of contributions from the community, while overwhelming, had been absolutely wonderful. If you still have items to donate, you can take them to the Queens Courier office in Bayside at 38-15 Bell Blvd.” (GMAP)

Forest Hills
Thank Heaven Children’s Boutique, 72-18 Austin Street (GMAP).

Park Lane North: “There are very few places in the Forest Hills / Kew Gardens neighborhood that are accepting and distributing donation to the SANDY victims. With the fuel shortage, The Red Cross will only pick up items from our neighborhood if there is a massive supply. Think of the things that you might need in a time of crisis and drop off donations at Park Lane North, 118-17 Union Tpke, Forest Hills, NY 11375 (GMAP) Union Tpke between Burns and Austin St. Questions? Contact Mike at Park Lane North (718) 263-4832 Volunteers will drive donations to Assemblyman Mike Miller’s office for distribution”

Glendale
Atlas Park Mall, at the old Borders Store, 8000 Cooper Ave (GMAP) from 12:00-8pm starting Thursday, November 1st. The Donation site will be open throughout the weekend.
Excalibur Reading Program, 80-17-78th Ave (GMAP), 347-725-4218
Cook’s Crafts, 80-09 Myrtle Avenue (GMAP), 718-366-6085

Long Island City
LIC Market, 21-52 44th Drive (GMAP), has launched a donation drive. Anything you can offer is appreciated. Shelters are most in need of the following: water, clothing (especially socks, underwear and sweats), shoes, non-perishable food, baby food and baby supplies, toiletries, cleaning supplies, batteries/flashlights and lanterns, demolition tools (pry bars, sledge hammers, garbage bags), tarps, daily newspapers, batteries (A, AAA, D).

LIC’s NY Irish Center, 10-40 Jackson Ave (GMAP), is accepting emergency supply donations Fri Noon-5pm, Sat 10 am-1pm, Sun Noon-8pm. 718-482-0909.

Maspeth
Drop off site for donations in Maspeth at Assemblywoman Margaret Markey District Office, 55-19 69th Street (GMAP). Call 718-651-3185 for information.

Middle Village
Senator Joe Addabbo’s office: 66-85 73rd Place (GMAP), 718-497-1630

Ozone Park
Starting on Friday, the New York Police Department will begin a massive collection operation, staged out of the parking lot at Resorts World Casino in Ozone Park (GMAP). NYPD representatives and volunteers will be on scene in white tents to collect everything from canned goods to coats and shoes for city residents who lost everything in the storm.”We’ll be collecting clothing, sweatshirts, hats, packages of bottled water, toiletries, non-perishables, you name it,” said 112 Precinct Council President Heidi Chain. Residents who want to drop off goods at the location can go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. [via Bayside Patch]

Sunnyside
From Jimmy Van Bramer: anyone wishing to donate water, food, blankets, warm clothes, batteries and cell phone chargers may drop these items off at my office. We will have them delivered to those in greatest need. Our office is located at 47-01 Queens Boulevard, Suite 205, Sunnyside, Queens (GMAP). We’re open Monday through Friday from 9am – 6pm. My office will also be open tomorrow, Saturday, November 3rd from 10am – 2pm to collect these items as well.

Woodhaven
Woodhaven Development Corp, Forest Parkway and Jamaica Avenue (GMAP)
Assemblyman Mike Miller’s office, 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd (GMAP), 718-805-0950

Volunteers are needed 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd (GMAP). They are using Assemblymember Miller’s office as a staging location to bring supplies to the rockaways. They need blankets, clothers, food, cars with gas to move the stuff etc.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO/OPPORTUNITIES

Friday, November 2 through Saturday, November 3, 10am-1pm: volunteer in Brookville Park (GMAP) or Baisley Pond Park (GMAP) with clean-up efforts.

Friday, November 2, 12pm-4pm: Help us go door to door and distribute information to small business owners about filing for federal disaster aid in Jamaica, Queens. Meet at the office of Councilman Ruben Wills, 95-26 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica (GMAP). Space is limited, please RSVP to wgardiner@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

Saturday, November 3, 10am-noon, cleanup of Astoria Park.

From JetBlue: “We’re also matching all donations to the Red Cross up to $100,000, and you can earn 6 TrueBlue points for every $1 you donate. Donate here. For those traveling with us, we’ve extended fee waivers to change or cancel flights booked prior to October 28 good for a credit up to one year.”

Additionally, food trucks are heading back to the Rockaways on Sunday 11/4 and will be serving food from 12-4pm at the following locations:

Location #1: Beach 50th and Beach Channel Drive
Cupcake Crew
Eddies Pizza

Location #2: Walgreens parking lot – B113 and Beach Channel Drive
Gorilla Cheese
Valduccis