Families Effected by Hurricane Sandy Still Need Help

Money Alone Will Never Be Enough For One NJ Family.  

The Foundation will be assisting Zoe and her siblings. We are posting a wish on her behalf.

"My name is Zoe. Before Hurricane Sandy I was a typical 19-year-old student at Rutgers. But then came October 29th. I was studying for an exam, waiting out Hurricane Sandy and then I received a phone call. At 11pm on October 29th, I found out both of my parents had been killed. They were driving the pickup truck home with my two little brothers sleeping in the back seat. A Hurricane Sandy gust blew a 100-foot tree on the cab of the truck killing both of my parents. My brothers made it out alive but with some bumps and bruises. I needed to get back home to take care of my 3 younger siblings (ages 17, 14 and 11). I finally made it to the hospital in the morning after battling with Hurricane Sandy all night. I was no longer your typical 19-year-old. A moment in time, a second of bad luck, changed my life and my sibling's lives forever.

I now have two goals: caring for and being guardian of my three younger siblings and keeping my family in the house we grew up in. It is challenging realizing what a lengthy process everything and anything seems to be. Money is stuck in limbo and I'm doing everything I can to keep my family's stability in place. School is no longer a priority, but still a goal I am determined to achieve, but my family, my siblings, come first. I love them more than they could ever fathom and I am ready and willing to put any amount of weight on my shoulders to lessen the load on theirs. They are children who deserve to be kids and enjoy the life they have lying before them. I am going to be strong for them. I am going to be wise. I am going to be patient. But I won't be naive, and I won't say that I don't need help. Our immediate needs are to pay for groceries and bills in the upcoming months. Every donation is vital to the health and comfort of my siblings I care for and love." 

DATA DRIVEN VIEWPOINT:  The request Zoe made was for $5,000 and $34,000 was raised.  What Zoe and her siblings really need most cannot be replaced, and my heart goes out to them.  This sad story puts a human face on some of the terrible tragedies in New Jersey and elsewhere brought about by Hurricane Sandy.  Help is still needed for thousands of families, many of whom lost their homes and belongings.  There are still places in New Jersey where electricity isn't expected to be restored until December.  There are many children who can't attend school. There are families struggling to keep their homes warm while many others are in shelters or temporary housing. If you can, please donate to the Red Cross.

Hurricane Sandy: Help Those in Need

The Red Cross continues to focus on reaching as many people as possible who need our help. Your help is urgently needed to continue to support relief efforts. Getting supplies and meals and water into affected areas is the top priority. Since the beginning of the Sandy relief effort:

• More than 5,900 Red Cross workers have been assigned to operations from Virginia to Rhode Island, with the majority in Greater New York and throughout New Jersey.
• The Red Cross has provided more than 61,000 overnight shelter stays in more than 250 Red Cross shelters.
• More than 3.2 million meals and snacks have been served.
• The Red Cross has distributed more than 121,000 relief items such as clean-up kits and hygiene kits.

Please donate today. Financial donations make the greatest and most immediate impact, helping the Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy.

Donate Now

The American National Red Cross is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to the American National Red Cross are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Red Cross' tax identification number is 53-0196605.