News

Local volunteers to 'Pay it Forward'

By Scott Wagar

08/06/2013

Note: Hundreds of disaster survivors from across the U.S. will “pay it forward” in Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island to commemorate 9/11 Anniversary 2013 and rebuild from Hurricane Sandy. Twenty Louisiana firefighters who survived Katrina will volunteer with FDNY, NYPD, DSNY and New York Says Thank You to rebuild 10-15 homes Sept. 5-8, and paint Stars of HOPE in a community-wide effort. KPMG, JetBlue and Johnson Contracting team up to rebuild Long Beach home of NYPD officer Charlie Sadler destroyed in Sandy.

New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTYF) announced its annual 9/11 Anniversary “barn-raising” project this year will focus on the ground-up rebuilding of the Long Beach home of NYPD officer Charlie Sadler and his wife Gina and will also include 10-15 other volunteer home rebuilding efforts across Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.

This large scale volunteer effort is part of New York Says Thank You Foundation’s ongoing commitment to help rebuild 200 homes of under-insured, active duty New York City first responders displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

To date, the Foundation and its volunteers have helped rebuild 63 storm damaged homes of FDNY firefighters, NYPD police officers, DSNY sanitation workers and volunteer firefighters/EMTs serving in the five boroughs.

“For 10 years, New York Says Thank You has traveled the United States helping to rebuild communities hit by disaster as our way to say thank you for the support we received after 9/11,” stated Jeff Parness, founder and chairman of New York Says Thank You Foundation.

“This year, all the people we have helped around the country are coming to New York City as their way to ‘pay it forward’ and help our local first responders rebuild from Sandy. It is an amazing tribute to the American spirit of resilience and compassion that we experienced as a nation on 9/12.”

Main “Barn-Raising” to take place in Long Beach, Long Island at home of NYPD Officer Charlie Sadler

The main rebuilding effort for the 9/11 Anniversary 2013 weekend event will be at the home of Sadler and his wife Gina.

An eight-year veteran of the NYPD and auxiliary coordinator for the 104th Precinct in Queens North, Sadler also served 10 years as a former lieutenant in the South Hempstead volunteer fire department.

Like hundreds of thousands of other New York and New Jersey residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy, Sadler and his wife Gina, a social worker in the East Rockaway school district, are still struggling to rebuild due to under-insurance and increased costs of compliance to elevate homes to meet new FEMA flood insurance guidelines.

It is estimated that over 2,000 New York City firefighters, police officers, sanitation workers and their families have been directly impacted or displaced by Hurricane Sandy and the numbers of homes that are total losses or in need of major repairs are well into the hundreds.

As in all major disasters, a significant number of these homeowners are under-insured in the rebuilding effort.

A major grant from the partners and employees of KPMG through the KPMG Disaster Relief Fund made this large scale volunteer effort possible. This grant will also help to repair and rebuild the homes of 10-15 other first responder families during the 9/11 Anniversary volunteer build weekend Sept. 5-8.

“We are honored that the KPMG Disaster Relief Fund is able to support New York Says Thank You in their efforts to rebuild homes for our local first responders as they are the men and women who serve our greater community and provide critical roles in the long-term recovery from Sandy,” stated Bernie Milano, president of the KPMG Disaster Relief Fund.

“KPMG is proud of our long association with New York Says Thank You, an organization that makes a profound difference in the lives of so many people in need,” said Robert Arning, KPMG vice chair, market development.

“Their focus on ‘paying it forward’ resonates with our partners and employees who embody our firm’s commitment to serving the communities in which we live and work,” Arning continued to state.

Disaster survivors from across the United States to rebuild in Long Beach and surrounding areas

Among the 200+ volunteers expected to travel to New York for the 9/11 Anniversary rebuilding effort are 20 firefighters from St. Bernard Parrish and St. Tammany Parrish in Slidell, La. who survived Hurricane Katrina and who volunteered with New York Says Thank You every year.

They will be joined in Long Beach, the Rockaways and Staten Island by wildfire survivors from San Diego, Calif., tornado survivors from Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, and flooding victims from Minot, N.D. who will be volunteering with New York Says Thank You as their collective way to “pay it forward” for the help they received from the New York volunteers on previous anniversaries of 9/11.

“Since 2003, JetBlue has been proud to partner with New York Says Thank You Foundation on various disaster relief and rebuilding efforts nationwide,” stated Jeffrey Goodell, VP of government affairs for JetBlue Airways.

“We are honored to assist with the travel of many of the volunteers who will be flying into New York to help with this special volunteer rebuilding effort in the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Sandy,” Goodell continued to state.

Local Building Supply Companies invited to participate in the 9/11 Anniversary “barn-raising”

The main rebuilding effort at the Sadler family home in Long Beach will be coordinated by general contractor Patrick Johnson of Johnson Contracting in Rockville Centre, N.Y. with architectural support provided by Joseph Gallinaro of Gallinaro Design Studios, Zampini Architecture, Maple Lane Drafting and Design Inc., and MPP Engineers.

Suppliers of building materials, equipment and appliances interested in donating toward this special volunteer rebuilding effort are encouraged to contact Patrick Johnson at (516) 536-9258.

A Growing List of Local and National Supporters and Partners

Since committing to help rebuild 200 homes for NYC first responders displaced by Hurricane Sandy, New York Says Thank You Foundation has been privileged to receive support from some of New York City’s most prominent philanthropists and corporations including KPMG Disaster Relief Fund and KPMG LLP, Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch, The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, The Rudin Family, Association for a Better New York Foundation, BASF Corporation, Air Seal Insulation Systems, Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, JetBlue Airways, Jeffrey and Paula Gural, The McNulty Foundation, Goldfarb & Fleece, and TM Construction among others.

The Foundation also received invaluable technical assistance on case management from St. Bernard Project and has been supported in the volunteer efforts by NYC Service, Friends of Firefighters, Women in Construction and numerous other volunteer groups locally and nationwide.

Bottineau Area Supporters

Two individuals from the local area, Gary Nelson and Jennifer Issendorf, will be volunteering their time to the 2013 New York Says Thank You project.

Nelson is the father of Ann Nicole Nelson, the only North Dakota native who lost her life during 9/11, and the namesake of Annie’s House at the Bottineau Winter Park, which was constructed thanks to the efforts of New York Says Thank You. He will be making the trip to assist those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

 By going to New York, it is Nelson’s way to “pay it forward” and say thank you to New York Says Thank You for the time and effort the organization gave to make one of his daughter’s dream a reality, an adaptive ski lodge that offers a variety of services to those with cognitive and physical handicaps.     

Issendorf, who is employed at the Bottineau Clinic and was a friend of Ann Nelson, made the decision to go to New York because she enjoys volunteering her time.

“I have decided to go because I, like so many others, want to pay it forward. Last September during the construction of Annie’s House I got to spend time with New York Says Thank You volunteers. It feels good to pay it forward and help someone or a group of people get back on their feet after a tragedy or a natural disaster,” Issendorf said.
“Not only will I be helping with the organization, but I will also check a few items off my bucket list as well. I have always wanted to visit New York and the opportunity came at the right time for me to embark on a great experience.”

“Those that are volunteering were sent an email on the five areas that there are projects. I had to pick an area where I would like to help, which included Breezy Point, Belle Harbor, Broad Channel, Long Beach and Massapequa. I chose Long Beach since it is right on the ocean and was one of the hardest communities hit by Hurricane Sandy. Also, I will try and coordinate with Stars of Hope to distribute Stars throughout communities while I am there,”Issendorf added.

Issendorf will also take part in a special 9/11 ceremony while in New York City.

“I will take part in the memorial at Ground Zero on 9/11/13 with Ann’s father, Gary Nelson,” Issendorf said. “Ann and I skied together at the Bottineau Winter Park and she had a soft spot for the Winter Park and also volunteering her time.    

How to Help

Individuals and corporations wishing to donate or volunteer their services to New York Says
Thank You Foundation’s Hurricane Sandy First Responder Rebuilding Fund are encouraged to go to www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org/Sandy.

Corporations interested in sponsoring the rebuilding of a first responder home and engaging their employees in the volunteer effort should contact Kathleen McCarthy at Kathleen@NewYorkSaysThankYou.org or via (516) 790-2195.

About the New York Say Thank You Foundation
Started in 2003 at the suggestion of a five-year old boy, New York Says Thank You Foundation has grown into the nation’s largest direct service volunteer organization on the 9/11 Anniversary.

More than 40,000 people have volunteered in all 50 states in their annual disaster relief rebuilding projects, historic restoration of The National 9/11 Flag, and Stars of HOPE community art projects. Through the foundation’s service-learning division, The 9/12 Generation Project, 1.5 million students nationwide will learn the positive lessons of citizenship that emerged from 9/12 and will participate in service learning projects focused on disaster relief, community revitalization and the arts. For more information, please visit www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org.