Below you will find an excerpts from an interview with Elizabeth Heenan, Volunteer Coordinator for Hurricane Sandy Response, which was recently published by Episcopal Relief & Development in their Lamplight newsletter.
As part of the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Sandy, Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting a coordinated volunteer response among three Episcopal dioceses: New York, New Jersey and Easton.
Any type of group can be accommodated, including individuals and groups that come for the day or week-long trips. All three of the diocesan programs are doing reconstruction in private homes, and have several houses they are working on at any given time. Volunteers are also sent to a soup kitchen in Keansburg, NJ that is still feeding disaster survivors.
Skilled Volunteers Needed
Volunteers over the age of 18 with skills in electrical and plumbing are especially needed. In addition, the dioceses of New York and New Jersey are looking for people skilled in “finishing” work, such as painting and putting up drywall and cabinets. Groups with one or two skilled workers are most valuable because they can help manage the rest of the volunteers.
Currently, minors can do some clean-up work and volunteer in soup kitchens. Due to state laws, it can be difficult to place minors at reconstruction sites. But some laws may be changing in response to the need for Sandy volunteers. New Jersey, for example, now allows 16-year-olds to volunteer as long as there is one adult for every three youth under 18.
Visit relief.episcopalny.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities in the Dioceses of Easton, New York and New Jersey. Email Elizabeth at regvolcoord@episcopalny.orgwith questions or to send a group to volunteer.