Dozens of public schools were damaged by Sandy, some of them so badly that they won’t reopen for a while yet. If you want to donate school supplies and other essentials to schools, teachers, and students in need, we have some ideas:
First, the city has set up a survey to match individuals and organizations who want to donate with schools that need their help. It might be a great idea, but the site doesn’t have any contact info, so it feels a bit mysterious. We can’t judge if it’s effective at this point, but it has the potential to be, especially for corporations and organizations.
Here’s something more tangible for an individual: The always helpful DonorsChoose is reportedly getting a huge influx of Sandy-related requests. It’s just for monetary donations, but at least you can put your money toward specific needs expressed by teachers.
We also recommend taking matters into your own hands, and organizing a supplies drive among your friends—or, better yet, at your child’s school. Inside Schools has an update on the schools that have been damaged. If you’re wondering where to start pitching in, follow their links to the schools that are partly or severely damaged. You can make contact with an official at a school in distress, find out what they need, and make it happen. We’re hearing about more and more grassroots efforts like these, and they make a big difference.
(Please note, both Inside Schools and Gotham Schools have good timely posts with news on damaged schools.)
If we hear of a more formal organized initiative, we’ll let you know. But don’t wait for it. The schools need help now.
Eric Messinger is Editor of New York Family. He can be reached at emessinger@manhattanmedia.com
