Sandy Bus Tour Site Visit – The Rockaways and Long Beach, L.I.

What Funders Can Expect from Participation

• A bird’s eye view of two communities deeply impacted by Sandy — what are their continuing needs, as well as what are innovative strategies nonprofits and other groups undertook that funders can support to make these communities more resilient long-term.
• Insights into how despite misconceptions about suburban communities being well-resourced and wealthier, many, like the Rockaways and Long Beach, have pockets that are poor, underserved and under-resourced, and how this makes them particularly vulnerable to a disaster.
• An opportunity to learn what philanthropy can do to support systems development and capacity building so that vulnerable and often overlooked communities are better prepared for future disasters and stronger and more resilient.
• Concrete examples of initiatives by community organizations that support community resiliency and long-term strength.

Funder participants will see and hear about these communities from a variety of angles and multiple perspectives, including government relief workers concentrated in the area, community development leaders who have been working in the communities for years and leaders of community institutions that are innovating in new ways in the wake of the disaster. The tour will take participants to residential areas that were decimated by Sandy, to the boardwalk for a discussion of economic development and to several areas that are heavily populated by people who were most vulnerable in the disaster.

Program:

• Herman Schaffer, Director of Community Outreach, NYC Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) [confirmation pending]

• Joan Byron, Director of Policy, Pratt Center, provides historical context of the Rockaways (geography, demographics, etc.) and talks about plans for the future.