After Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New York, volunteers came from all over the city – and in some cases the country – to help out. Some people had volunteered with us before, and some were brand new. Craig Novoa is a Brooklyn native who has been volunteering with us for years. He knew he had to get to work when he saw his neighborhood in devastation. Read on for a first-hand account of his experience.

As a Sheepshead Bay resident and long standing New York Cares volunteer, I gathered a group of local residents together on December 16th to Gerritsen Beach to help muck out homes of families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The team worked hard mucking-out and clearing debris from storm damaged homes in the area to aid in the recovery and restoration process.

It was very important for me as a Brooklyn native, to inspire others in the area to give back to their community. I couldn’t have been more impressed by the hard work of my fellow volunteers, and all the work we got done. If you haven’t helped on a Sandy recovery project yet, you definitely should.

By Craig Novoa