To all my people in New York City, I hope that you've remained safe and weather-proof amidst the chaos of Hurricane Sandy. But in the aftermath, I'm hearing that Chinatown residents have largely left out of any conversations about the city's restoration efforts.
So CAAAV has stepped up to provide translated information and donated goods for residents. Until electricity is restored, CAAAV will be open each day, 10:00am to 5:00pm starting today, collecting donations of flashlights, batteries, food (perishable and non-perishable) and bottled water.
Two important things to note about Chinatown:
1) There is no information getting into Chinatown. While the tenants were able to get newspapers mid-day, the news was obviously not up to date. No one is able to make cell phone calls, there is no internet, and no tv. Some people who can, are able to send texts, but almost everyone had used up the battery on their phones. They have no idea how long the electricity will be gone for. They have no idea when the trains will work again. There was no one giving out information, and it was clear there was no place to get information.More here: Post-Hurricane Sandy, CAAAV’s office opens to accept donated goods and provide critical information for Chinatown residents left behind in City's efforts.
2) There are no services. No one has generators running so there is no backup of anything. There are buildings where there are tenants with no water at all. In the public housing, water was shut off, and there are still a significant number of residents still inside. They're fine otherwise, but could use some water.
If you're in the area, and available to help out any day, contact justice@caaav.org. For further updates, follow CAAAV on Facebook.
UPDATE: The latest news from today: Update on CAAAV’s Efforts Post-Hurricane Sandy! Volunteer and Donate!