volunteer | Amusing the Zillion

Posts Tagged ‘volunteer’

Occupy Sandy’s New Warehouse in Coney Island Landmark

Posted in News, tagged Brooklyn, Childs Building, Childs Restaurant, Coney Island, helpavists, local, Occupy Sandy, volunteer, warehouse on January 24, 2013| 1 Comment »

Twitter Page for Occupy Sandy’s Warehouse in Coney Island

Last week, Occupy Sandy said goodbye to 520 Clinton Street as their main distribution center and opened a warehouse in the basement of the landmarked Childs Building in Coney Island’s amusement area. Helpavists, as Occupy Sandy calls volunteers, pumped flood water out of the basement, which was still there two and half months after Sandy. They proudly took their first delivery of supplies: 600 gallons of water on 22 pallets from City Harvest.

Located on 21st Street, the site is steps away from the Parachute Jump and across the street from where the Seaside Summer Concerts are held in the summer and school buses park during the winter months. Unlike the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew in Clinton Hill, the Coney Island warehouse is not open to the public: “@OSWarehouse is NOT a public hub but a decentralized warehouse. Please visit http://www.occupysandy.org & @SandyRegistry to support our efforts!”

According to the Coney Island page on Occupy Sandy’s website: “In Coney Island, the main volunteer hub that we are working out of is across the street from 2828 Neptune Ave. We are currently organizing volunteering events on certain days – but the location is not open regular hours. So, in order to volunteer to help with canvassing and supply distribution in Coney Island, please register as an Occupy Sandy volunteer and we will send you emails when volunteering events are scheduled in Coney Island.”

Designated a New York City landmark in 2003, Coney Island’s terracotta palace by the sea has been boarded up for the past few years after being enlivened by the Mermaid Parade Ball and Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Rink. The rink operated rent-free on the Boardwalk side of the property for two years until 2010, when the high cost of insurance caused leaseholder Taconic Investment Partners to shutter the space. In August, there was news that the City planned to develop the building and an adjacent lot into an entertainment complex for Borough President Marty Markowitz’s Seaside Summer Concerts, but an official announcement has yet to be made.

UPDATE September 26, 2013:

The City’s plan to convert the former restaurant into an amphitheater for live concerts is now working its way through City Planning and the City Council approval, though it was voted down by the community board. “Clock Ticking on Plan for the Landmark Childs Building,” ATZ, September 25, 2012.

Photo of the Day: Sandy Volunteers from the Barman’s Fund

Posted in Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Alliance for Coney Island, Barman's Fund, Coney Island, Coney Recovers, Sandy Cleanup, volunteer on November 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Volunteers from the Barman’s Fund, Coney Island Boardwalk. November 11, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

Among the last Hurricane Sandy volunteers to leave the Boardwalk on a recent Sunday evening was this bartender and her customers. They were from the Barman’s Fund, a group of bartenders who pool their tips to donate to charitable causes. This group told me they used the tips to buy the shovels and spent the day shoveling sand from the Coney Island Boardwalk. They were among the over 3,000 volunteers who participated in volunteer weekends organized by the Alliance for Coney Island’s Coney Recovers initiative. Cheers!

November 3: Volunteer for Coney Island’s Sandy Cleanup

Posted in Events, News, Photography, tagged beach cleanup, Coney Island, Mindy Gress, Sandy Cleanup, volunteer on November 3, 2012| 1 Comment »

Bus Stop Sign at Surf Ave and West 5th Street on the Morning After Hurricane Sandy. October 30, 2012. Photo © Mindy Gress

Update, November 4th: A second volunteer day has been scheduled for today — Sunday, November 4th, beginning at 9AM. Volunteer Relief Opportunities during the week at FEMA Distribution Site, National Guard Distribution Site, Coney Island Generation Gap on Neptune Avenue and at Sea Gate. For updates on volunteering or donating to help Coney Island, or to get help, visit coneyrecovers.org.

The Coney Island Dancers first put out a call for volunteers for a beach cleanup on Saturday, November 3rd, beginning at 9am on the Boardwalk at West 10th Street. On Friday it grew into a bigger outreach for the whole neighborhood due to the widespread damage from Hurricane Sandy and people asking how they could help. “Please note, this is NOT just–or even primarily–a clean-up effort,” the Coney Island Development Corporation posted on Coney Island’s Facebook page, which has more than 157,000 fans. “We have thousands of residents in need of immediate assistance, as well as hundreds of businesses that are devastated. Volunteers will be assigned a variety of tasks tomorrow. We thank everyone in advance for their support.”

Volunteers are needed to assist in recovery and cleanup in and around Coney Island.

Where: Volunteers will convene on the Boardwalk at Stillwell Avenue (outside of Tom’s Restaurant)

When: Saturday November 3, 9:00 A.M.

Dress warmly, wear sturdy footwear or boots, and bring work gloves! Bring your own flashlight (with extra batteries), a backpack, and snacks/water for yourself for the day.

Donation requests to help with Saturday’s work:

Power strips
Extra flashlights
Outdoor brooms

Please note that bathroom access on site will be very limited.

No RSVP required

You can refer to MTA.info for latest transit updates. Carpooling and biking are encouraged.

Please forward this to all of your networks.

Organized by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Brooklyn Community Board 13, Astella Development Corporation, and the Coney Island Development Corporation

At 12 noon, CIBBOWS (Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers) and the Coney Island Polar Bears are also teaming up for a beach cleanup. “Meet us at the Municipal Parking Lot in Brighton Beach (Brighton 4th Street and Brightwater Court) at noon on Saturday and help us clean-up Brighton Beach and Coney Island,” says their Facebook invite.

If you are unable to make it on Saturday, stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities. Coney Island from Brighton Beach to Sea Gate was devastated by Sandy and the rebuilding will go on for months. The surreal photos in this post were taken by Coney Island resident Mindy Gress on the day after Hurricane Sandy.

ATZ is issuing an all points alert for a giant fiberglass burger last seen abandoned by a dumpster on West 15th Street. Looks like Sandy took a bite out of it. It belongs to Mama Burger, the A & W root beer figure on the roof of Paul’s Daughter, who was recovered after being toppled by the storm. Mama wants her burger back! Perhaps it will turn up during tomorrow’s Coney Island Cleanup.