The pictures out of Texas and now, out of the Caribbean, have been hard to believe, but even more amazing is the generosity of acheinu b'nei yisroel, who have gone all out to help those whose lives have been turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey.
For those of us in the New York area, Hurricane Sandy is still fresh in our minds, and even
five years later, there are still some who are struggling with the devastation that the super storm left behind. In addition to the many individuals who are aiding Harvey victims, numerous organizations rushed to step in and offer their help, among them Achiezer, Agudath Israel of America, Chabad, the OU, the RCA and UJA.
Amudim is honored to have been asked to join forces with the OU, Achiezer, Seasons and Evergreen, which set up numerous drop off points throughout the New York area where people could drop off much needed supplies. Using our experience in disaster relief and logistics, we were able to coordinate the efforts of this massive project, which sent a caravan of eight tractor trailers to Houston and to oversee the efforts of the more than 200 volunteers from the Jewish communities in and around New York who left their homes, businesses and families behind to help those in need.
At this point in time, a lot of the cleanup and demolition work has been done in Houston's Jewish communities, but after soggy carpets have been ripped up and ruined furniture dragged out to the curb, there is still so much left that needs to be done. Amudim's on-site representatives are currently shifting their efforts so that the people of Houston will be prepared to take the next step in the recovery efforts, managing on their own and dealing with the long term issues that have yet to be resolved after the volunteers return home
Unbelievably enough, as all of this is going on in Texas, we have also been busy working with several agencies including Hatzolah Miami, Chesed Shel Emes, Florida law enforcement and federal agencies to create the framework for emergency services and disaster relief should Irma unleash her wrath on Florida. We are davening for a positive outcome in Florida and hope that none of these services will be needed; but as we all know, an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure.
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