National VOAD: How To Help Sandy Survivors

National VOAD is working closely with member and partner agencies to identify opportunities for providing assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Due to continuing transportation and fuel challenges, as well as ongoing power outages, it is difficult for disaster relief organizations to receive and train new volunteers at this time. But your help is needed.  Please understand it may be a few days before needs in the impacted area are understood and organizations now helping on the ground can begin to receive, train and house new volunteers.

In the meantime, there are additional ways you can engage:

• Donate to local relief effort by visiting National VOAD’s Member Page.
• Donate blood with the American Red Cross
• Register your interest to volunteer at Good and Ready or Serve.gov. By registering you will receive up-to-date information, including when new volunteer opportunities are posted.

• Host a local fundraiser and donate the proceeds
• Help restock your local food bank
• Visit the National Donations Management Network to view in-kind needs in your region and make a donation

For volunteer opportunities in individual states, please see the following HandsOn Network affiliates:

• Massachusetts

Boston Cares, Boston, MA

• New Jersey

Jersey Cares, Newark, NJ

Pass It Along, Sussex County, NJ

Volunteer Center of Bergen County, Hackensack, NJ

Volunteer Center of Philadelphia and South New Jersey

• New York

New York Cares, New York City

Long Island Volunteer Center, Long Island, NY

Volunteer Center Serving Westchester and Mid-Hudson Valley

• Rhode Island

Serve Rhode Island, Rhode Island, RI

• Virginia

Volunteer Alexandria, Alexandria, VA

Volunteer Fairfax, Fairfax, VA

Volunteer Arlington, Arlington, VA

• West Virginia

Email disastervolunteersforwv@gmail.com or call (304) 343-9922 

While immediate opportunities to volunteer in the affected area may seem limited, please remember that the recovery effort will continue for many months and volunteers will be needed throughout this time. Thank you so much for your willingness to support the affected communities!

Read the story on NVOAD.org