Hurricane Sandy slammed states about 1,000 miles north of Florida, but distance isn’t keeping UF students and Hillel staff members from getting involved in the cleanup.
Two staff members and 45 students will cram into a bus for an 18-hour drive to help with relief efforts this weekend. They’re leaving today for the trip, which is sponsored by UF Hillel in partnership with Columbia/Barnard Hillel in New York, said Melissa Stern, a UF Hillel staff member.
“The response has been really surprising and wonderful to hear that the whole school wants to help out,” Stern said, adding that there’s a wait list of 12 people.
The group will work Friday and part of Saturday with a federation in Staten Island, Stern said. They’re bringing cleaning kits as well as food, clothing and other necessities collected from drives by Hillel and UF student organizations.
“Ideally, we’re having the entire bottom of the bus filled with supplies and donations,” she said.
The trip was open to all students, Stern said, and is completely funded by UF Hillel donors.
Psychology senior Alyssa Freeman is going because she has family in Long Island, an area that was badly hit by the storm.
“It’s such a great opportunity that I just wasn’t expecting to happen this week,” the 21-year-old said. “I just really would like to do as much as I can to help with relief.”
Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia/Barnard Hillel, described post-storm New York as a different world.
Many New Yorkers resumed their normal lives, he said, but many others, especially on the coasts of New York and New Jersey, are still in recovery mode.
There is an immediate need for volunteers, which UF Hillel is fulfilling, he said.
“A lot of campuses called from around the country and expressed a desire and willingness to help over winter or Spring Break,” he said. “UF Hillel said, ‘We want to come next week.’ It’s amazing.”
The Columbia/Barnard Hillel will find housing for the visiting students Friday night via Columbia and New York University student networks.
They’ll also continue the relief efforts Sunday after the UF group leaves.
“Everyone who’s up here is incredibly grateful for this effort and leadership that UF students are showing,” Cohen said. “They’re going to be impacting a whole bunch of lives in the two days they’re up here.”
Contact Kathryn Varn at kvarn@alligator.org.
