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2012/11/13

Team Orange

Team Orange is a group of runners and friends of runners, who realized that we could put our able bodies to good use by volunteering our time to aid Hurricane Sandy victims in the rescue clean up efforts in The Rockaways and Staten Island in New York City.

Not all of us are runners, but we have decided to wear the color orange to signify that even though the 2012 New York City Marathon (orange is the signature color for the race) was cancelled, the spirit of the dedication, comraderie, and hard work from training for a race can live on through volunteerism and assisting those who are in dire need of picking up and carrying on with their lives. We aim to contribute physical labor in clearing out debris.

Our first volunteering effort was on Sat 11/10/2012 in Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park and on Sun 11/11 in Midland Beach, Staten Island (https://www.facebook.com/events/361553697271546/).
Team Orange Day 1 (Sat 11/10) Pics
Team Orange Day 2 (Sun 11/11) Pics

Our next event will be on Sat 11/24/2012 & Sun 11/25/2012 (https://www.facebook.com/events/251460154979920/).

If you cannot donate your time to join us with the cleanup efforts, but would like to contribute financial aid, it would be greatly appreciated if you could donate to Team Rubicon through our fundraiser site. Team Rubicon is a superb relief organization that we team up with for our Rockaways cleanup efforts.

Team Orange Fundraiser:
http://www.crowdrise.com/teamorange/

Team Orange Google Groups Email List:
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/teamorangenyc


About Team Rubicon:
Team Rubicon Member Harry Golden's YouTube Video Testimony
"Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with medical professionals to deploy vanguard teams that bridge the gap in disaster response. Since its creation in January 2010, TR has saved and helped thousands of lives – in Haiti, Chile, Burma, Pakistan, Sudan, and here at home. TR reaches victims outside the scope of where traditional aid organizations venture; victims on the fringe.

Team Rubicon Engages Veterans. Hundreds of US military veterans, many returning home after fighting ten years of war, find a renewed sense of purpose for their skills and experiences through TR."

If you tweet about Team Orange, plesae use hashtag #TeamOrangeNYC . If you would like to post our fundraiser URL, please use http://www.crowdrise.com/teamorange . 100% of donations go to the team in the field to aid and assist Hurricane Sandy victims.

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Team Orange


Hurricane Sandy Aid

[Note: This information was posted on 2012/11/13. Since then, most of these volunteer staging areas have been dismantled. The information will remain here for archive purposes.]


Info on How to Volunteer (Even Without a Car)
Are you willing to volunteer and provide "boots on the ground" for the Hurricane Sandy clean up efforts in NYC, but are having a hard time coming across useful info on where to go and how to help? If so, you're not the only one. I was having the same difficulty. It took me many hours of visiting websites and reading newspaper articles, but I finally came across great organizations to volunteer for. I can personally attest that each of the organizations above is reputable and great to work with.

I had the pleasure of working these organizations:
- Team Rubicon (Belle Harbor, Queens in The Rockaways)
- Staten Island Recovers (Midland Beach, Staten Island)
- Hallowed Sons Motorcycle Club (New Dorp, Staten Island)

Below are directions on how to use public transit to show up to each of the organizations' staging areas and begin the vital clean up work. Note that commute times are extremely long because all of these areas are disaster zones. Don't expect your cell phones to work (these areas have NO ELECTRICITY), so print out the directions below (and from Google Maps) before you go. Typical one way commutes range from 1.5 hours to 3 hours depending on traffic conditions in various parts of NYC.


Team Rubicon
Rocakway Beach Blvd & Beach 123rd St
Belle Harbor, Queens (The Rockaways)
http://teamrubiconusa.org
https://www.facebook.com/teamrubicon
https://twitter.com/teamrubicon @TeamRubicon
Team Orange Fundraiser for Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon Member Harry Golden's YouTube Video Testimony

Directions to Team Rubicon Staging Area
Google Maps (click here & plug in your address)

Subway/Bus/Ferry to Belle Harbor (from Times Sq, it's a sample start location):
2 Train
- Take (2) towards Brooklyn to Flatbush Av - Brooklyn College station (40 mins, 22 stops).
- Walk to Flatbush Ave & Ave H, transfer to Q35 Bus (28 mins, 21 stops) to Newport Av/Beach 129th St.
- Walk 7 blocks to St. Team Rubicon at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 123rd St (8 mins, 0.4 miles).

A Train
- Take (A) towards Brooklyn to Rockaway Blvd station (40 mins, 17 stops).
- Transfer to Q53 LIMITED to Rockaway Park station (last stop) at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 116th St (28 mins, 12 stops).
- Walk 7 blocks to to Team Rubicon at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 123rd St.

7 Train (great option for Queens folks, sample distances are from Times Sq)
- Take (7) towards Queens to Woodside - 61 St station (20 mins, 11 stops).
- Walk 1/2 block to 61st St & Roosevelt Ave NW corner to transfer to Q53 LIMITED to Rockaway Park station (last stop) at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 116th St (60 mins, 23 stops).
- Walk 7 blocks to Team Rubicon at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 123rd St (8 mins, 0.4 miles).

Rockaway Seastreak Ferry (Weekdays Only)
NYC Gov Press Release
- Take the ferry from Manhattan's E 34th St Ferry Landing (East River & E 34th St)or Pier 11 Ferry Landing (East River & Wall St) to the Rockaway Ferry Landing (Beach 108th St & Beach Channel Drive) (70 mins from E 34th St / 50 mins from Pier 11)
- Walk down Beach 108th St then make a right at Rockaway Beach Blvd for 15 blocks to Team Rubicon at Rockaway Beach Blvd & Beach 123rd St (18 mins, 0.9 miles).

Manhattan to Rockaway Weekday Ferry Schedule ($2 each way)
 E 34th St Departures   Pier 11/Wall St Departures   Rockaway Arrivals 
N/A 6:35am 7:45am
N/A 7:25am 8:15am
N/A 8:35am 9:20am
2:45pm 3:05pm 3:55pm
4:20pm 4:45pm 5:35pm
5:10pm 5:35pm 6:20pm
6:30pm 6:50pm 7:40pm
7:30pm 7:50pm 8:40pm

Rockaway to Manhattan Weekday Ferry Schedule ($2 each way)
 Rockaway Departures   Pier 11/Wall St Arrivals   E 34th St Arrivals 
5:45am 6:35am 7:00am
6:35am 7:25am 8:00am
7:45am 8:35am 8:45am
8:15am 9:05am 9:30am
9:20am 10:10am 10:30am
4:30pm 5:30pm N/A
5:55pm 6:45pm N/A
6:55pm 7:45pm N/A


Rebuild Staten Island
780 Olympia Blvd (& Slater Blvd)
Midland Beach, Staten Island
https://statenisland.recovers.org
https://www.facebook.com/SIRecovers
https://twitter.com/SIrecovers @SIRecovers

Directions to Rebuild Staten Island Staging Area
Google Maps (click here & plug in your address)

Subway/Bus/Ferry to Midland Beach:
MTA X1 Bus
X1 Bus Schedule (Sat times on page 14 & Sun times on page 16), Metrocards are accepted
- Take (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(A)(C)(E)(N)(R)(J)(Z) to City Hall/Chambers St area.
- Walk to Broadway & Park Pl, take X1 Express bus towards Staten Island to Hylan Blvd & Seaver Ave in Midland Beach (25 mins, 15 stops).
- Walk to 780 Olympia Blvd & Slater Blvd (12mins, 0.6 miles).
Note the X1 Bus also stops at many places in Midtown along 5 Av (see page 17 of Schedule above).

Staten Island Ferry
Ferry Schedule
You can bring bicycles aboard.
- Take (1)(2)(3)4)(5)(N)(R) to South Ferry/Bowling Green/Wall St in Manhattan then walk to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at South Ferry.
- Take the Staten Island Ferry (free) to St George in Staten Island.
- Take SI Railway (Map)to Dongan Hills (17 mins, 6 stops). Metrocards are accepted.
- Walk down Seaver Av towards the Ocean, right onto Mason Ave, left onto Slater Blvd to 780 Olympia Blvd & Slater Blvd (21mins, 1.1 miles).


Hallowed Sons Motorcycle Club (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn)
Cedargrove Ave & Wavecrest St
New Dorp, Staten Island
http://hallowedsonsmc.com
https://www.facebook.com/hallowed.sonsmc
Jenna Pope Blog Post
eBikerLeather Blog Post

Directions to Hallowed Sons MC Staging Area
Google Maps (click here & plug in your address)

Subway/Bus/Ferry to Midland Beach:
MTA X1 Bus
X1 Bus Schedule (Sat times on page 14 & Sun times on page 16), Metrocards are accepted
- Take (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(A)(C)(E)(N)(R)(J)(Z) to City Hall/Chambers St area.
- Walk to Broadway & Park Pl, take X1 Express bus towards Staten Island to Hylan Blvd & New Dorp La in New Dorp (35 mins, 20 stops).
- Walk down New Dorp La towards the beach then make a left on Cedargrove Ave to Hallowed Sons MC in the parking lot at Wavecrest St (18mins, 0.9 miles).
Note the X1 Bus also stops at many places in Midtown along 5 Av (see page 17 of Schedule above).

Staten Island Ferry
Ferry Schedule
You can bring bicycles aboard.
- Take (1)(2)(3)4)(5)(N)(R) to South Ferry/Bowling Green/Wall St in Manhattan then walk to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at South Ferry.
- Take the Staten Island Ferry (free) to St George in Staten Island.
- Take SI Railway (Map)to New Dorp (16 mins, 8 stops). Metrocards are accepted.
- Walk down New Dorp La towards the beach then make a left on Cedargrove Ave to Hallowed Sons MC in the parking lot at Wavecrest St (26mins, 1.3 miles).


What to Bring?
NYC Weekend Weather
Necessary Supplies
- Yourself (the most important element, just showing up makes a world of a difference to victims to show that you care & support them)
- Clothes that you are okay with getting dirty
- Working Boots (preferably steel-toed)
- Gloves
- Surgical Masks (preferably P95 surgical masks since you will be breathing in dust, dirt, & potential toxins)
- Headlamp or Flashlight (make sure your batteries work)
- Portable Cell Phone Charger (solar-powered or battery operated)
- Goggles (that don't fog)
- Tyvek Suits (if you will be doing demolition work)

Optional Supplies
Many of the volunteer staging areas can provide you with the following:
- Extra Heavy Duty Garbage Bags
- Cleaning Supplies (Brooms, Shovels, Rakes, Buckets, & Bleach)


Team Orange
http://www.runkino.com/p/team-orange.html
If you would to join our team of volunteers comprised of Kino & friends, then please visit our Team Orange page to learn more about our efforts.