#OccupySandy

 NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued eviction orders for #OccupySandy community relief groups.

Photo Credit: Liberal Post

In the response to hurricane Sandy, Occupy Wall Street supporters have shown that voluntary aid is far more effective than the Red Cross or FEMA. As some Superstorm Sandy survivors enter December in their 5th week without heat and electricity, volunteers have worked tirelessly alongside them to clean up the damage and provide food, water, supplies, clothing and human services to the hardest-hit neighborhoods. Bloomberg brushed off the assembled group (OWS) that was desperate to talk to the mayor about their increasingly dire situation post-Sandy.

Photo Credit: Info Wars

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shut downlast week “due to bad weather” (The agency will only help as long as it’s not raining, snowy or too windy.), during which time Occupy Sandy and other independent voluntary organizations continued to provide aid to hurricane victims. At one point, pictures were taken of occupy sandy volunteers feeding FEMA workers who couldn’t find supplies for themselves. The group now has over 50,000 volunteers on its mailing list and has raised almost $500,000 for relief of the communities.

Photo credit: T-shirt Tobby

Some community members still have no power, and after almost everyone in NYC has been helped, some are being told that because they ‘rent’ they aren’t eligible for federal assistance. Tenants who lived without heat, hot water, elevators and power … were hoping for a rent discount right away. They were worried that they would fall behind in December’s rent because of extra expenses incurred after Sandy. After almost a month of reluctance the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) caved, agreeing not to pursue evictions of, or default judgments against Sandy-affected tenants who don’t pay or are late with next month’s rent.