Current Disaster Response
Disaster Response Updates
The NYAC has deployed Early Response Teams to Texas, Florida (two) and Puerto Rico.
Additional teams to Puerto Rico are scheduled for April 23 to 30 (trip is full), and June 16 to 23.
Application form for Puerto Rico response
Teams are still needed in Texas and Florida as part of their recovery effort. More than 900,000 FEMA applications were received in Texas alone while more than 500,000 homes were determined to have moderate to extreme damage. The recovery efforts in both Texas and Florida will be at least another two to three years.
In December the NYAC Disaster Response office closed out its formal Superstorm Sandy program, having completed its UMCOR grant commitment. We will continue, however, to work with the St Bernard Project on Sandy-affected homes as part of our Done in a Day program.
In addition, more than 600 clean-up buckets were delivered to Mission Central in Pennsylvania. This brings our total for the past year to over 1500! The truck was so full of buckets that it had reached its weight capacity. Health kits will go on the next delivery. Our thanks to the many churches and individuals who collected, packed, housed, and delivered the buckets and kits.
Emergency Service Centers
The NYAC has received a $95,000 grant from UMCOR to assist in addressing the needs of persons from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands who have relocated to the US-mainland, either temporarily or permanently. This assistance will be through local assistance centers and an Unmet Needs Roundtable.
