November 7, 2012-
Another storm stabbed the city this week, a nuisance for some and a total nightmare for others—like the roughly 130,000 residents in the Rockaways, one of the areas hardest hit by Sandy.
offMetro was there earlier this week, cleaning out water-logged basements, brandishing shovels and distributing supplies to desperate, confused, and power-less people.
Here are 10 ways New Yorkers who are back at work, in fine post-Election spirits, sipping lattes from holiday Starbucks cups, can help Queens.
1. On November 7 and 8 between 10-5pm, the Metro Baptist Church (410 West 40th St.) is accepting donations like towels, water, coats, and cleaning products. A truck will transport these items out to the most neglected areas of The Rockaways on Friday.
2. Food, water, blankets, diapers, batteries, bread and many more items are being collected by Two Boots in Brooklyn (514 2nd St., Park Slope), which is accepting donations, volunteers and drivers today and throughout this week.
3. Discover Outdoors is hosting a Happy Hour for Sandy Relief on November 9 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Brinkley’s Pub (406 Broome St.). The $10 suggested donation will go directly to the Red Cross relief efforts in the Rockaways and other badly beaten areas.
4. Gourmands can give back on November 8 at Meat Week Presents: Modern Beefsteak & Spirits Benefit For The Rockaways. 100% of the proceeds from the all-you-can-eat-and-drink smorgasbord will go to hurricane relief efforts. Tickets are $45.
5. Brooklyn Brewery is inviting interested clean-up volunteers to attend “Operation Muck Out” training sessions held by World Cares in the brewery’s Tasting Room on November 8 and 13 from 7-8pm. Volunteer excursions to the Rockaways are being organized. RSVP to Carla at cvilla@brooklynbrewery.com.
6. While the A train remains suspended, OccupySandy has been coordinating carpooling at St Jacobi Lutheran Church (5406 4th Ave., Brooklyn, 347.470.4192) for volunteers to get out to St. Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor and to various OccupySandy relief outposts. The National Guard has been relying on OccupySandy to distribute food and water; oM visited the grassroots organization’s centers in several badly neglected nooks of Far Rockaway, where FEMA and the Red Cross have scarcely been present.
7. Visit the Rockaway Relief facebook page for frequent updates on donation drop-off locations and how you can aid specific people, like Eddie, an elderly man who needs dura flame logs brought in and furniture taken out of his home at 337 Beach 147th St.
8. Much-needed items like wool blankets, safety glasses, a saw kit, diapers, and fleece leggings can be purchased off the OccupySandy Amazon Wedding Registry. The gifts will be sent to the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in Clinton Hill, where they are being distributed to the most affected areas.
9. Hurricane Sandy Relief Benefit at Berry Park (4 Berry St., Brooklyn) on November 7th at 8pm will donate 50% of all sales and 100% of all tips to the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance.
10. At 6:30pm on November 7, the Brooklyn Kitchen (100 Frost St.) is throwing a Butchering Fundraiser for Hurricane Sandy victims in The Rockaways. There will be butchering demos, a live auction, and a 10% discount on store merchandise. $20 suggested donation.
Photos: Author
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram