Far Rockaway, 5 Towns Update

From Rav  Yehuda L. Oppenheimer, re-posted with permission

Shalom and Best Regards,
RRW
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Although I already sent money from our Shul Discretionary Fund and have asked from the pulpit last Shabbos that people contribute, we did not receive much of a response, unfortunately.
 I decided that both לשמה and for the ability to do more effective fundraising, I should go myself to some affected areas and see what I could do to help.  Overcoming the fear that I need to preserve the half tank of gasoline that I had left, I went yesterday to the Five Towns.
My first stop (after passing numerous mile long gas lines) was at Yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv on the border of Far Rockaway and Lawrence.   One was struck ,when entering the very elaborate and fancy building, and knowing of the general affluence of the area, how many people were there in the middle of the day, picking up their laundry from a communal cleaner, getting some canned food, charging their cellphones, (some actually learning in the Beis HaMedrash, and most of all, gratefully taking advantage of the catered breakfast, lunch and supper that had been provided by local caterers (yesterday it was Shick's) and served by local volunteers.  Similar operations have been set up in other locations, including but not limited to Young Israel of Woodmere (I understand that Rav Billet suffered major damage to his home), Young Israel of Long Beach, Chabad of Five Towns, and others.
 Achiezer had a table set up for coordinating volunteers, and I reported ready to be helpful in any way that they could use me.  They tried to call several on their list of requested needs.   This list was compiled from forms that had been distributed with an extensive questionnaire asking what type of help was needed, including: food, clothing, blankets, help with cleaning basements, generators, sump pumps, moving furniture, rides (for those whose cars were totaled), place to stay (Shabbos/weekday) etc etc.   The needs are mind-boggling.
 It was difficult to reach anyone as so many phones are down and cellphones uncharged, but eventually I was sent with three yeshiva fellows to a lakeside home in Woodmere.   Passing many homes with large piles of garbage and discarded items all over, we came to an affluent home, which was obviously previously quite gracious.  I would guesstimate that two weeks ago it would be described as a $4 million home.  In the front yard were endless large piles of wood, refuse, ruined furniture, clothing, etc etc.   Walking inside the home, there were piles everywhere of endless stuff in varying states of salvagability, and a shell-shocked older couple who were being assisted by their grandson.   They had flood insurance on their homeowners policy, as they lived near a lake, but it covered only the actual structure, none of the contents.   The business that they owned nearby, including a new bakery completed only a few months ago, is a total loss.   Although they had managed to find a few construction workers to help, they critically needed help in getting the wet and ruined flooring and sheet-rock out of the basement before rot and mildew set in, which would be much harder and very expensive to clean, if at all possible given the extensive damage.   Hence, the call for help.
 For the next three hours, the four of us knocked down sheet-rock, shoveled debris, and carried bag after bag of garbage out of the house, stripping down the floor to the concrete and discarding the shmutz.   It was hard work, but it felt wonderful to actually be doing something to help another Yid, presumably people who up until now had been givers but now were in a position of having to take.   Baruch Hashem we finished most of the work before it got too dark to do anymore, and returned home exhausted, trying to drive carefully in the snow that had come in the new storm which functioned as a "sucker punch" to these communities while they are down.
 I am writing this not for accolades, but to encourage others to do the same.   If you are in the area, perhaps you can organize a crew of some able volunteers to come down and help.  Not only are all hands on deck needed  but it gives the hard hit people, many of whom are by now suffering for close to two weeks with no power or heat or housing, knowing that they have suffered huge losses, some much needed chizuk.
 If you want to organize a group to go help, you can be in touch with Achiezer at hurricanefund@achiezer.org, or call them at 516-791-4444.
May הקב"ה bless us, help the victims and יאמר לצרותינו די!

 Yehuda L. Oppenheimer