Thank You Traditional Home - Helping Make a Difference in Gerritsen Beach post Hurricane Sandy

Rebuilding Together, Lowe’s and Meredith Corporation Revitalize Devastated Homes in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn

Today, June 6th, I will be taking part in a HUGE effort, as a guest of Traditional Home Magazine, with 500 other Volunteers to Rebuild Multi-Generational Neighborhood still suffering the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.

As you may remember, from my post at the time, my family and I were very lucky during the Hurricane with trees and downed cable lines littered our little Westchester town .. but even this very week, as crazy weather systems passed through New York, my children still feel the effects and get very nervous from each lighting and thunder strike. 

We can try and move on, but forgetting perhaps is not the easy... especially for those that are STILL  unable to live in their homes. This is why, when Traditional Home sent the invitation, I jumped at the chance to help!

GERRITSEN BEACH WHAT SANDY LEFT BEHIND

All I can say, is that it is heartbreaking that in a city so close to New York, NEW YORK .. , that families are still living in these conditions.. there are no words to describe it.

Rebuilding Together, a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home, with sponsors Lowe’s, Meredith Corporation and other key sponsors to renovate nearly a dozen homes and community areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy in the Gerritsen Beach section of Brooklyn, New York.

Rebuilding Together and its affiliates in New York and New Jersey along with national and local partners are committed to rebuilding at least 200 homes by 2014 and have already repaired and rehabilitated nearly 100 homes across the region.

In Gerritsen Beach, volunteers from Lowe’s, Meredith and other sponsors will:

• Replace flooring and sheetrock, paint, landscape, repair and replace kitchens and bathrooms, and complete many other renovations
• Provide upgrades to Vollies Memorial Hall, a local community center that supports the last remaining volunteer fire company in Brooklyn
• Revitalize the surrounding community, including the cleanup of Kiddie Beach and the renovation of the community garden

Other sponsoring organizations include Aleve, Assurant, Brooklyn Community Foundation, CBRE, Choice Hotels, Crate & Barrel, and Philips Electronics.

Gerritsen Beach, a close-knit community located on the southeastern side of Brooklyn, was devastated when Hurricane Sandy slammed into the neighborhood with close to 10 feet of raging waters,” said John L. Fiegel, Interim president and CEO of Rebuilding Together.   “Along with our partners, Rebuilding Together is committed to restoring nearly a dozen homes and community areas here.   “In addition to the important funding, Rebuilding Together appreciates the hands-on work that presenting sponsors Lowe’s and Meredith are contributing, as well as the ground work by our local New York affiliate and other partners.”

Meredith has a 12-year partnership with Rebuilding Together.  Eight of Meredith’s leading brands – Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Family Circle, Traditional Home, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, Fitness, More, and Ladies Home Journal –  are supporting Rebuilding Together’s Gerritsen Beach Build Day through an extensive series of print and digital efforts that will reach more than 100 million Americans, including:

• Editorial coverage in Meredith’s leading magazine titles
• Broadcast coverage on Meredith’s nationally syndicated The Better Show
• Coverage on Meredith’s digital platforms including its leading websites and an extensive blogger network
• Creation of a customized digital destination (werebuild.com).

“Meredith has a long and rewarding 12-year history of community service and commitment to supporting the mission of Rebuilding Together,” says Steve Lacy, CEO, Meredith Corporation. “We believe the incredible response by our employees to help the homeowners and community of Gerritsen Beach reflects the high value we place on volunteerism at all levels of our organization.”

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, where I will share our day in Gerritsen and the plans for the Garden rebuild!

For more information about Rebuilding After Sandy and Gerritsen Beach, visit http://rebuildingtogether.org/sandy/gerritsen/

Follow the Rebuilding Together efforts on Twitter at @WeRebuild2013 and @RebldgTogthr using the hashtag #WeRebuild or #RTSandy

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