Immediately after Hurricane Sandy devastated NYC, Metro World Child dispatched emergency relief teams to Coney Island, Far Rockaway and Red Hook, reaching more than 7,000 families.

Metro was one of the first organizations to bring relief supplies like food, clean water and blankets to low income areas, where most people felt neglected and forgotten. Alberto Renteria, 37, a resident of the Red Hook projects, said, “It was scary to see the water coming in. There was at least 5 feet of water. I'm a contractor and my car and tools were completely damaged. I can't even go out to work so I haven't had the money to buy food. We're so thankful to Metro, we have had nothing to eat.”

Days after the storm, many areas are still without power, food, clean water and heat, and the level of fear and desperation is increasing as temperatures drop. Nicole Devila, 34, said, “No one came. We've had nothing; no power, no heat. No one dares to go out because we're afraid people will take our stuff. You can't even trust your neighbors and friends; people you've known for years.”

 
Chaos is descending upon areas like Coney Island and Far Rockaway, with looting and violence so rampant that even authorities have been unwilling to enter the buildings to check on residents. Through our regular Sunday School program, Metro has established personal relationships throughout the 5 boroughs. This has given Metro the ability to get into areas where no one else has been willing to go, to get in direct communication with survivors and assess their immediate needs.

Through partnership with other organizations – CitiIMPACT, Feed the Children, Food Bank for New York City, Heart to Heart International and LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry – Metro will continue to dispatch emergency relief teams daily until all urgent needs are met.