We're in this together- helping after Sandy

"Well the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do.." -Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)

Many of you know I moved to North Carolina from New Jersey last year. Like everyone else who has friends and family on the east coast, I've felt powerless and heartbroken as I witnessed the destruction Sandy brought upon my home state. Every image of devastation brought back one more memory and a flood of tears.

I was raised at the Jersey Shore. In the summer, my mother would pile my sisters and brother into the car and we'd head out to Manasquan, rain or shine. Being a Jersey girl had nothing to do with what Snooky and her crew showed the world. We had salt in our blood, wind in our hair and sand in everything we ate. We body surfed and boogie boarded; collected shells and skeeball tickets; and smelled of Coppertone and zinc oxide. As an adult, I choose to live by the Toms River, 15 minutes away from Seaside and Island State Beach Park. If we weren't on the beach, the kids were sailing or crabbing.

While I could turn off my TV when I couldn't stand to see one more image, my friends and neighbors aren't so lucky. Even if their homes made it through the storm, there will be the physical and mental exhaustion of picking up the drenched pieces of their lives. The loss will come in waves and for years they will find themselves looking for something only to remember they lost it to Sandy.  

My daughter, who can't handle going one day without washing her hair, called to say she was finally getting a shower after four days. What struck me was that she kept using words like "we" and "us". "We're really lucky Mom, a whole crew of people are here from the south to help us get the power back on."

I thought she was talking about people helping at her house, but instead she was talking about the electrical crews coming to help her state.

Listening to her I couldn’t help but think how the good that is coming from this tragedy is what always seems to define us in tough times- our ability to pull together, to work together, to see ourselves as one with humanity.

Libraries have always been front and center of that charge and this is no exception. As soon as the lights were on libraries like Princeton Public, Rockaway, Roxbury, South Orange and New Canaan were all there to greet communities. My friend Tim Quinn, communications director for Princeton Public Library, wrote a moving piece after working a second consecutive 12 hour day. In it he concluded, “I’m a public employee and I’m proud of the work all public employees do every day. I’m even prouder of where I work and of the people with whom I work, people whose primary motivation is a desire to serve. When walking through the crowds of people who came to us for help today, I couldn’t help but think, ‘We- meaning all of us, citizens and employees alike- built that.’ Without an “us” it would never have been built.”

I'm a public employee and I'm proud of the work all public employees do every day. I'm even prouder of where I work and of the people with whom I work, people whose primary motivation is a desire to serve. When walking through the crowds of citizens who came to us for help today, I couldn’t help but think, “We — meaning all of us, citizens and employees alike — built that.” Without an “us,” it would never have been built. I'm a public employee and I'm proud of the work all public employees do every day. I'm even prouder of where I work and of the people with whom I work, people whose primary motivation is a desire to serve. When walking through the crowds of citizens who came to us for help today, I couldn’t help but think, “We — meaning all of us, citizens and employees alike — built that.” Without an “us,” it would never have been built.

I'm a public employee and I'm proud of the work all public employees do every day. I'm even prouder of where I work and of the people with whom I work, people whose primary motivation is a desire to serve. When walking through the crowds of citizens who came to us for help today, I couldn’t help but think, “We — meaning all of us, citizens and employees alike — built that.” Without an “us,” it would never have been built.Those of us who are too far away to offer hot showers are looking to help…

NJ Library Association has created a fund  called "Rebuilding NJ Libraries

Metro NY Council is assessing damage and taking names of volunteers 
 
Urban Libraries Unite: Children's Book Relief for Sandy Victims

Manhattan User's Guide: Helping NY libraries

Why you can't help but love libraries:

Harborfields Public Library: Brave patrons in the cold using the "Outdoor" Public Library. We are still closed due to the power outage, but we have some tables, outlets and Wifi! Oh, and FREE books!!

My co-blogger, Kathy Dempsey, created a little storm-shelter library  : she's way cool :-)

 NJLA has also started a Flickr page for libraries to post pictures of how they helping. Here.

(Please feel free to add to this list)

An amazing way to help the Red Cross:

Kate Messner pulled together KidLit Cares to help the relief effort for Sandy. Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Manuscript critiques, in-person and Skype author visits, virtual writing workshops, school & library marketing consultations for authors… you name it. Kate says that Round Two will begin soon, hosted by Bloomsbury/Walker author and organizational goddess Joanne Levy. If you’d like to make a donation, please email her at kidlitcares@joannelevy.com with the information) She has the full list of current auction on her page.
 Great article from LJ that talks about damage and how libraries are helping communities in the aftermath of Sandy.

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