NEW YORK CITY DISASTER RELIEF – RESTORE NYC
Dear New Yorker:
Hurricane Sandy has caused extensive damage throughout New York City. The Mayor’s Office has been
managing emergency recovery efforts during and after the storm, and we know there will be long-term
impacts for many New Yorkers. Attached are resources to help you.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Services
 Restoration Centers
 NYC Rapid Repairs
 Warming Centers
 Sheltering
Food
 Food Distribution Centers
 Food Stamps
Medical
 Medical Vans
 Prescription Drugs
Transportation
 Staten Island
 The Rockaways
Other
 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
i. Mold
 Human Resources Administration (HRA)
For those with electricity and internet access, www.nyc.gov and 311 will provide much more detailed
information. Those without power or internet access can visit a local library site or one of the Restoration
Centers set up to help residents. There are city, state, and federal officials working at the Restoration
Centers.
Thank you for helping one another and all New Yorkers.
1
Updated 11/30/12
WORKING TOGETHER TO KEEP NEW YORK STRONG
I.
SERVICES
Restoration Centers
NYC Restoration Centers help New Yorkers in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy get access to
important information and services to help them recover.
Restoration Centers provide the following types of assistance: NYC Rapid Repairs, Business Restoration, Food
and Nutrition Assistance, Counseling Services, Temporary Housing Information, Financial Assistance, Health
and Medical Benefits, Personal Records and Information.
NYC Restoration Centers are open at the hours below.
Throggs Neck*
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM
St. Francis de Chantal
190 Hollywood Avenue
Bronx, 10465
Fort Tilden
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM
415 State Road (across from St. Genevieve's
Church)
Queens, 11697
*Note: The Throggs Neck location is open Monday
through Friday only. This site will close on
12/7/12.
Far Rockaway
Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM
10-01 Beach 20th St.
Queens, 11691
Red Hook
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM
Coffey Park
85 Richards Street
Brooklyn, 11231
Gravesend
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM
SSA Building
10 Bouck Ct.
Brooklyn, 11223
Arverne
Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM
Shorefront B and C
68-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard
Queens, 11692
Staten Island
Hours: 8 AM - 6 PM
1976 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, 10306
FEMA Assistance: New Yorkers can apply at a Restoration Center, or they can apply on their own:
1) Apply Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
2) Apply via a smartphone at m.fema.gov.
3) Apply by Phone:
 Call (800) 621-3362.
 Call TTY (800) 462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities.
NYC Rapid Repairs
NYC Rapid Repairs is a new program to send teams of contractors and City inspectors to neighborhoods affected
by Hurricane Sandy to quickly repair damaged homes.
2
Updated 11/30/12
If you own a one-family or two-family home, you must have a FEMA ID number to sign up for this program. If
you own a multi-family building, you are NOT required to have a FEMA ID number.
Within 48 hours of your registration, the NYC Rapid Repairs Assessment team will contact you to schedule a
free damage assessment of your property. Your Assessment Team will include an electrician and a plumber.
They will create a list of recommended repairs for your home. You will receive the assessment within a few days
of your appointment, and then you can determine whether you want the recommended work done at no cost to
you through this program.
Customers may enroll at a NYC Restoration Center, online at www.nyc.gov, or by calling 311.
Warming Centers
With the drop in temperatures, the City is providing warming centers located within Senior Centers in the five
boroughs for a place to get out of the cold during the day. Please see times and locations below for warming
centers in the most affected areas.
Location
Address
Borough
Sat 12-1
Sun 12-2
JASA LUNA PARK SENIOR CENTER
2880 WEST 12TH
STREET
BROOKLYN
CLOSED
8 to 4
MARLBORO SENIOR CENTER
2298 WEST 8TH
STREET
BROOKLYN
CLOSED
8 to 4
OCEAN PARKWAY SENIOR
CITIZENS CENTER
1960 EAST 7TH
STREET
BROOKLYN
CLOSED
8 to 5
PROSPECT HILL SENIOR SERVICES
CENTER
283 PROSPECT
AVENUE
BROOKLYN
9 to 3
CLOSED
VANDALIA SENIOR CENTER
47 VANDALIA
AVENUE
BROOKLYN
CLOSED
CLOSED
COMMUNITY LOUNGE SENIOR
CENTER
155 EAST 22ND
STREET
MANHATTAN
CLOSED
9 to 5
GOOD COMPANIONS NUTRITION
334 MADISON
STREET
MANHATTAN
CLOSED
9 to 3:30
LA GUARDIA SENIOR CENTER
280 CHERRY STREET MANHATTAN
9 to 5
9 to 5
ELLIOT CHELSEA NORC
441 WEST 26TH
MANHATTAN
10:30 to
6:30
10:30 to
6:30
ARROCHAR FRIENDSHIP CLUB
SENIOR CENTER
85 JEROME AVENUE
STATEN
ISLAND
CLOSED
CLOSED
JCC SOUTH SHORE SENIOR
CENTER
1297ARTHUR KILL
ROAD
STATEN
ISLAND
CLOSED
8 to 1
CASSIDY COLES SENIOR CENTER
125 CASSIDY PLACE
STATEN
ISLAND
CLOSED
CLOSED
JCC OF STATEN ISLAND
INNOVATIVE SR CTR
1466 MANOR ROAD
STATEN
ISLAND
CLOSED
8 to 4
3
Updated 11/30/12
Sheltering
The most important thing for New Yorkers to do in the aftermath of the Hurricane is stay safe. If your home has
been damaged due to the storm and you need shelter or relocation assistance, please visit a NYC Restoration
Center and ask for a Homebase Representative (see location and hours above).
If you need immediate housing assistance outside of these hours, call 311 or go to the locations below:
1) If you are a family, you should go to 346 Powers Avenue in the Bronx, between 141st and 142nd Streets.
2) If you are a single adult or a family without minor children, you should go to 102 West 128th in
Manhattan between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Boulevards.
3) If you are on Staten Island, you should go to Bayley Seton Hospital at 75 Vanderbilt Avenue, between
Bay Street and Tompkins Avenue.
II.
FOOD
Food Distribution Centers
The Office of the Mayor is providing hot meals at the following food distribution sites from 11 AM – dark and at
the following food trucks from 12 Noon to 4 PM:
Queens
Prepared/Hot Food Distribution Sites

St Helen’s: 83rd Street and 157 Avenue, Howard Beach
Free Food Trucks, Sponsored by Mayor’s Fund*




Christ Community Church: Rockaway Point Boulevard and 208st, Breezy Point
St. Francis de Sales: Rockaway Beach Boulevard at Beach 129th Street
Church of the Nazarene: 1414 Central Ave., Far Rockaway
87-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd. (between Beach 87th & 88th Streets), Rockaway Park
Emergency Food Activity Programs









Aids Center of Queens County (pantry): 1139 Foam Place, Far Rockaway
United Methodist Center (soup kitchen and pantry): 1032 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway
St. Gertrude Church (pantry): 337 Beach 38th Street, Far Rockaway
St. Mary Star of the Sea: 19-20 New Haven Avenue, Far Rockaway
First Presbyterian Russell Sage Memorial (pantry): 869 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway
Jewish Services Coalition (Kosher pantry): 1525 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway
J.U.S.T.I.C.E (pantry): 219 Beach 28th Street, Far Rockaway
First Church of God (pantry): 21-23 Birdsall Avenue, Far Rockaway
River Fund: 89-11 Lefferts Blvd., Richmond Hill
4
Updated 11/30/12
Brooklyn
Prepared/Hot Food Distribution Sites




MCU Park (Parking Lot): 1904 Surf Avenue (@ West 19th Street), Coney Island
IKEA—Free Meal Coupon: Coffey Park, 85 Richards Street, Red Hook
Fine Fare Supermarket (Parking Lot): 2901 Mermaid Avenue (@ W. 29th Street), Coney Island
Searise Houses (Parking Lot): Neptune Avenue and 37th Street, Coney Island
Free Food Trucks, Sponsored by Mayor’s Fund*




Coffey Park, 85 Richards Street, Red Hook
Gravesend Houses, West 33rd Street and Neptune Avenue, Sea Gate
Mermaid Ave. (between 27th & 28th Streets), Coney Island
Salt & Sea Mission, West 17th Street (between Surf & Mermaid Avenues), Coney Island
Emergency Food Activity Programs






Kingsborough Community College’s Pantry: 2001 Oriental Blvd., Coney Island
Salt & Sea Mission (pantry): 1530 Mermaid Ave, Coney Island
Bed Stuy Campaign Against Hunger (food pantry): 2004 Fulton Street, Coney Island
Reaching Out Community Services (pantry): 7708 New Utrecht Ave., Bensonhurst
Tomche Shobbos of Borough Park (Kosher pantry): 6225 New Utrecht Ave., Bensonhurst
St John’s Bread and Life (soup kitchen and pantry): 795 Lexington Avenue, Bushwick
Staten Island
Prepared/Hot Food Distribution Site


Mount Loretto: 6581 Hylan Boulevard
Siller Foundation: 2361 Hylan Boulevard
*NOTE: Food truck locations are subject to change
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (commonly known as food stamps)
If you are currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in New York City
and affected by Hurricane Sandy, you may be eligible for replacement benefit for spoiled food due to power
outages and floods.
You must apply in person and meet the following criteria:
You must have had an active SNAP case by October 31; The food you lost must have been purchased with food
stamp benefits; You must have lived in an affected area and had power outages or flooding caused by Hurricane
Sandy; You must complete and sign appropriate paperwork explaining your loss by December 10.
You will need to verify you live in a storm-affected area. HRA will review your request and if approved, benefits
will be issued to you through your EBT card.
5
Updated 11/30/12
Those currently receiving SNAP are approved to purchase prepared foods at stores and restaurants that already
accept EBT purchases. For re-certifications scheduled to expire October 31, 2012, they will be extended through
December 31, 2012
Emergency Food Assistance: For food pantries and soup kitchens throughout New York City, call 311.
III.
MEDICAL
Medical Vans
Mobile medical vans staffed with primary care providers who will be able to provide medical care and distribute
commonly prescribed drugs are now available at several locations in the Rockaways, Brooklyn, and Staten
Island. If you have problems accessing this list, please call 311.
Site
Location
Borough
Time
Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Ambulance
Center
43 Seba Avenue @ Approx. Dare
Court
Brooklyn
9am –
5pm
South Beach
Sand Lane & Olympia Blvd
Staten
Island
9am –
5pm
Prescription Drugs
If you need to fill your prescription and have a Medicaid card, you do not have to pay your Medicaid co-pay. If
you lost your Medicaid card or your prescription, your pharmacy and/or medical provider should be able to help
you. If your pharmacy is closed, call the closest pharmacy of the same chain, or contact your medical provider to
have your prescription transferred to the nearest open pharmacy. Many open pharmacies in affected areas are
providing expanded delivery service, and more pharmacies are opening each day.
IV.
TRANSPORTATION
Most of the MTA subways and bus lines are fully operating; however, service disruptions resulting from
Hurricane Sandy continue. For more information on which subway and bus lines are running and for
transportation status updates, call 311.
Staten Island
Expanded Staten Island Ferry Service: The service will run for eight weeks as storm recovery work continues.
Ferries will depart the newly-constructed landing at Great Kills between 6:00 and 9:00 AM for Pier 11 at Wall
Street, and continue to 35th Street. Ferries will return to Staten Island between 12:00 Noon and 6:15 PM. Oneway fare will be $2.00.
Expanded Staten Island Bus Service: The City has expanded bus service for the X23 and X24 lines in Staten
Island to meet rising demands as a result of the storm. Atlantic Express will operate one additional bus on the
X23 route and one additional bus on the X24 route. Each additional bus will make four trips, for a total of eight
additional trips per day. The Economic Development Corporation worked with Atlantic Express Bus to begin
operating temporary additional express bus service.
6
Updated 11/30/12
The Rockaways
Ferry Service: Seastreak ferry service is now running between the Rockaways and Manhattan. Ferries depart
from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and stop at Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan. There are free
transfer between Pier 11 and East 34th Street in Midtown. One-way fares will cost $2.00.
Free parking is available for those in the Rockaways taking the new ferry service to Manhattan. The parking lot,
which was secured thanks to the assistance of National Grid, is across Beach Channel Drive from the new
Rockaway ferry landing.
H train: The MTA began operating a free rail shuttle service on November 20th. The newly-named H train will
operate every 15 minutes between the Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue station and the Beach 90-Holland station,
making all intermediate stops using a connection known as the Hammels Wye that is not normally used for
service. The H train will run between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. daily. Rockaways customers who take the H to the Far
Rockaway-Mott Avenue station can use the free shuttle bus from there to the Howard Beach station on the A
train, connecting them to the rest of the MTA New York City Transit subway system.
V.
OTHER
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Hotline: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638) is a free, confidential help line for New York City residents. You
can call 24 hours per day/7 days per week. The hotline's staff of trained mental health professionals help callers
find mental health and substance abuse services (Spanish: 1-877-298-3373; Korean and Chinese: 1-877-9908585; Hearing Impaired: 1-212-982-5284)
Dealing with Mold in Your Home/Apartment
After a flood, it is important to clean and dry affected items as quickly as possible to prevent mold growth. Mold
may be a health risk to you, your family, and anyone cleaning up and removing debris. Aside from obvious areas
where mold is visible, inspect hidden areas for discoloration, mold growth, and odors. If you find mold, you
should take the following precautions:







Remove moldy materials right away and dry out affected areas.
Discard damaged or porous building materials.
Clean moldy, non-porous materials with water and detergent (only use diluted bleach—1-cup household
bleach added to 2 gallons of water).
Wood, furniture, concrete and other semi-porous materials can be cleaned if they were not damaged.
Remove and discard wet wall insulation.
Leave walls open until they dry out to prevent sealing in moisture—do not replace walls or other items
until all building materials, such as insulation and internal wall framework, are completely dry.
Put discarded materials in sealed plastic bag and throw away with regular trash.
When cleaning:


Open windows and doors to air out the area as much as possible.
Keep children and pets away from areas you’re cleaning.
7
Updated 11/30/12




Wear an N-95 respirator/mask and safety glasses or goggles if cleaning will produce dust. You can
purchase an N-95 respirator at most hardware stores or pick one up at one of the Restoration Centers.
Wear rubber gloves and head protection.
Do not run any electrical equipment or appliances near standing water or on wet materials.
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
To learn more about the health effects of mold and how to clean mold, call 311.
Human Resources Administration (HRA)
Temporary Cash Assistance
For people who are not currently receiving cash assistance benefits and wish to apply for temporary cash
assistance, HRA Job Centers may authorize payment for relocation expenses, such as a first month's rent, a
security deposit voucher equivalent to one month's rent as allowed by state regulations, a broker's fee equivalent
to 50% of one month's rent, a furniture allowance or storage expenses, if eligible, and if not provided by federal
or other disaster authorities.
People not currently in receipt of cash assistance and who cannot cook, due to, for example, a loss of power or
temporary evacuation, but who are otherwise eligible for cash assistance, may request a restaurant allowance as
an immediate needs grant at a local Job Center.
People who are currently receiving or eligible to receive cash assistance, and who must move into temporary
shelter as a result of storm damage, and must place items in storage while in temporary housing, may request
assistance with storage fees on a monthly basis, if not provided by federal or other disaster authorities.
People receiving or eligible to receive cash assistance who have lost or damaged clothing may request assistance
to help replace items, if not provided by federal or other disaster authorities.
For cash assistance recertifications scheduled to expire November 30, 2012, they will be extended to December
31, 2012.
Medicaid
HRA's Medicaid program secured an automatic 60-day extension for clients whose coverage would have expired
in November or December to ensure there are no gaps in coverage. Medicaid has suspended closings on all cases
during this time. All Medicaid community offices are open, except for Bellevue. You may call the Medicaid
Helpline at 1-888-692-6116 for assistance or you may visit any Medicaid office in NYC.
Any NYC resident who lacks health insurance and, due to financial losses or other circumstances as a result of
the storm, believes they may be eligible for public health insurance can go online to ACCESS NYC to see if they
may be eligible, visit their nearest Medicaid office or facilitated enrollers to apply. You can also visit
www.nyc.gov/hilink for other options.
Home Energy Assistance Program
8
Updated 11/30/12
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps low-income homeowners and renters pay bills for heating fuel,
equipment and repairs, including boiler replacements. For more information about HEAP call 800-692-0557.
HEAP season began on November 19, 2012.
Home Care
The Home Care program has taken steps to give affected consumers additional time to respond to Home Care
renewals and other requests for information. 30-day extensions to renew are in effect until the end of January
2013. All CASA offices in the community are open and can assist you in applying for services, including New
York State’s Managed Long Term Care programs.
Adult Protective Services
HRA’s Adult Protective Services (APS) can be called if a physically and/or mentally impaired adult 18 years of
age or older is in need of services and has no one to assist them. Referrals or arrangements for services and
support can be made Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm: (212) 630-1853. APS is also referring clients to the
relief food distribution sites in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
HIV/AIDS Services
New Yorkers with AIDS and clinically symptomatic HIV illness who are not currently HASA clients can get
assistance at any of the City’s HASA centers. For more information and center locations, call the HASA service
line at 1-212-971-0626.
Domestic Violence
If you are experiencing Domestic Violence and need immediate assistance, please call the NYC 24-Hour Hotline
at 1-800-621-4673. You can receive temporary shelter or other supportive services.
9
Updated 11/30/12