#Occupy helps Sandy victims

Occupy Wall Street Helps Sandy Victims

Huffington Post,

2 November, 2012

Occupy Wall Street’s 99 percent have begun a coordinated effort to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Together with members from 350.org, Recovers.org, and interoccupy.net, the group has begun Occupy Sandy. Members have set up donation drop-off points in multiple bourgouhs and created localized websites that outline the needs for a given neighborhood, according to interoccupy.net.

OWS is battling obstacles including 600,000 people without power and the death toll of 38 in New York City as of Friday, according to the New York Times.

Occupiers began their efforts in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and have moved throughout New York’s five boroughs, thenation.com reports.

The organizations are asking anyone with “experience in or tools for medical and psychological services, electrician work, plumbing, construction, financial or legal services, debris and tree removal, childcare, transportation, senior services or language skills” to volunteer their services, according to RT.com.

They are also asking for donations in the form of candles, flashlights, batteries, water, food and other amenities that can be dropped off throughout Brooklyn as well as online donations, the news outlet reports.

True to form, OWS and its partners are using social media to reach out to potential volunteers. For those that want to volunteer, the organization asks individuals to use the hashtag #SandyVolunteer, or if they need aid, #SandyAid, thenation.com reports. Its Facebook page is regularly updated too and individuals can receive volunteer text alerts by texting @Occupy Sandy to 23559.