Hurricane Sandy!

Just last year we were helping clean up the destruction that Hurricane Irene left! Now today our crew is in New Jersey cleaning up the mess that Hurricane Sandy has left. Please keep all emergency workers and crews in your prayers!

If you want to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy here are a few organizations to help donate to! 

The Salvation Army has dozens of mobile feeding units and shelters along the East Coast that are working to serve thousands in the most heavily hit areas. Visitwww.salvationarmyusa.org to donate.

Feeding America has thousands of pounds of emergency food, water and supplies in the disaster zone that it is working to distribute to the storm's victims. To donate, visit www.feedingamerica.org or call            800-910-5524      .

AmeriCares is providing medicine and other supplies to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. To donate, visitwww.americares.org.

World Vision is distributing flood clean-up kits, personal hygiene items and emergency food kits to people hit by the hurricane. To donate, visit www.worldvision.org.

Save the Children is also working to provide relief to families and their children. Visit www.savethechildren.orgto donate.

Samaritan's Purse is asking for volunteers to help storm victims. To volunteer, visit their website.

One way to help is by donating to the Red Cross. All donations will provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by the storm. To donate, visit www.redcross.org, call 800-Red-Cross or text the word "Redcross" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Nearly 100 Red Cross blood drives were canceled because of Sandy, so blood supplies are low in the areas affected the most. The Red Cross asks that those who can donate to schedule an appointment to give blood. The New York Blood Center is urging people to donate blood for those in the New York/New Jersey area. To donate, call             800-933-2566       or visitwww.nybloodcenter.org.

-Denea Duran

5 Tips on Cooking in a Hurricane

While perusing one of my favorite cooking blogs, The Kitchn, I found an oh-so-appropriate article about how to cook in a hurricane! Very exciting day when food blogging and homeowner safety blogging merge. So without further ado, check out The Kitchn's 5 tips to cooking when anticipating (or experiencing) a hurricane:

1. Know your food safety facts! Have a thermometer in your fridge and freezer so you can make sure the freezer stays at 0°F or below and the refrigerator stays at 40°F or below. If your power goes out, the freezer will be OK for about 24 to 48 hours, provided that it is packed full and you don't open the door. The fridge, on the other hand, will only keep things safe for about four hours. Click here for more food safety tips courtesy of the USDA. 


2. Stock up on ice and dry ice. If your power goes out, if your fridge and freezer are stocked with ice or dry ice, this will prolong the life of the food inside. (Again, make sure you have a thermometer to check! Don't ever check food's safety by tasting it.)


3. Light your kitchen. Make sure your kitchen is well-supplied with light, whether that's candles, flashlights, a battery-operated floodlight, or something else. It's hard to be safe in the kitchen if you can't see when cutting bread or cooking an egg on your gas stovetop. Make sure there are light sources in the kitchen (don't count on any sunlight).


4. Make food ahead of time that doesn't need to be refrigerated. Some ideas: Muffins and quick breads for breakfast. Chana masala and other bean stews for lunches and dinners. Also stock up on cured meats, hard cheeses, good bread, beer, wine, olives, pickles, fruit, tomatoes, and crunchy vegetables for snacks.


5. Gather together with others. A long hurricane can be a crashing bore. After you've watched the newscasters get knocked over a few times by the wind, you're left with nothing but a slow, seemingly interminable wait for the storm to pass. Then the power goes out, and the internet, and you can't even amuse yourself with technology. It's time for old-fashioned get togethers. Some of my most memorable hurricane moments involve gathering with friends by candlelight, making the most of the long hours with card games, homemade food and old-fashioned fun. Batten down the hatches with a few friends and amuse yourselves. It's actually a good time to do a big cooking project, too, especially if you have a gas stove (not electric) and can bake bread or make tamales. Think about making a huge batch of homemade pasta, to be frozen after the storm, for instance, or tomato sauce.

Photo Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEO8iTUSEK_RDq3W-IlEu6de3hU8d5FhYyS-ISnFZEei6NgW97G8fmtQW1L3I5RaU3p-nHhL7zKlqA87GX8JtXCVDi79qFHPiTvI1LUANvLaGoXBSJoTPBA2i2DCo2FElInT2sUqHmlA/

Content Credit: The Kitchn

Irene in the Outer Banks

I must begin by apologizing profusely that I have been absent from the blog for a couple of days, particularly yesterday--missing a Fun Friday is a serious offense. I hope my loving readers will find it in their hearts to forgive me as I have been traveling north to join the team in the Outer Banks to work on hurricane relief.

This morning I have been exploring the area our crew is working in today to get a sense of the devastation of Irene. I will post several photos here, but please visit our Facebook to see the entire album.

The damage here seems to be far more water-induced than wind, hitting some neighborhoods harder than others. In the less fortunate areas (those more vulnerable to water damage), a walk down the road will reveal limbs and tree debris neatly piled at least chest-high in front of every other house. In the yards water-logged furniture and household items sunbathe--either in hopes of drying their way back to functionality or awaiting their pickup by a city garbage truck.

Having grown up in South Carolina and doing hurricane relief in the past (namely Katrina), what leaves a strong impression on me is the attitude of the homeowners. The equally neat and enormous stacks of debris have been collected by the locals themselves--there is no concept of helplessness here. Locals' immediate response upon Irene's damage seems to be one part can-do and one part community. It is no unusual sight to find neighbors aiding each other in removing wet furniture from their homes, chainsawing fallen trees, and even gutting water-damaged areas of their houses. That's not all. The most impressive part: I have yet to hear a local complain. As a matter of fact, I've even seen several smiling. It is an honor to be working for people like that.

All of our drying equipment for the water damages we're tackling.

In this neighborhood, every single yard was littered with furniture and household items sunbathing while awaiting either restoration or the garbage truck. 

Representing.

One of the houses the crew was working on this morning.

A fairly normal sight here.

Josh working hard with his Breast Cancer Foundation work gloves.

See what you can do to help by visiting my last post: How You Can Help.

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Sandy Hayden

Hurricane Irene: How You Can Help

Imagine 1200 homes like this all in one cove. This photo was taken by a member of our crew that is currently cleaning up the hurricane damage in the Outer Banks, NC. This is a reality for many home owners today. If you were one of the fortunate ones who is not currently focused on picking up the pieces of a damaged home, then perhaps it's time to see what you can do to help.

Step 1: Call your local Red Cross chapter and ask to volunteer. Labor day is coming up, and what better way to use it? Bring the whole family along, as there's something for everyone to do, including helping with care packages and blood donation drives.

Step 2: Donate blood. The blood supply was already low, but the recent disaster has further increased the need. This is one thing you can do that will directly save lives. How can you say no to that opportunity?

Step 3: Donate money. This is one of the fastest ways you can help hurricane victims. Here are some places to consider donating:

• American Red Cross --  Beginning a large scale relief operation to help people who were in the path of Hurricane Irene. Select "Disaster Relief" in the designated field.


• Americares -- Has stocked crucial supplies should the need arise for an immediate emergency response. To designate your gift to US Disaster Relief, write “Hurricane Relief Fund” in the designation field.


• Direct Relief International -- Hurricane Prep Packs pre-positioned at 39 total locations before hurricane season started in June, with 17 locations across four states in Irene's path equipped to help people affected by the storm. To designate your gift, write "Emergency Preparedness & Response" in the designation field.


• Humane Society -- The HSUS Animal Rescue Team is on the ground in North Carolina, Vermont and other hard hit areas responding where they are needed the most.


• K.I.D.S. -- Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) is distributing clothes, shoes and home goods to needy children and families on the East Coast, in NJ & VT.


• Operation Blessing -- Positioned to respond with emergency food, water and other relief supplies for impacted families. To designate your gift, write "Hurricane Relief" in the designation field.


• Salvation Army -- Prepared in the case that Hurricane Irene makes landfall. The Florida Division is equipped with mobile kitchens, shower trailers, field kitchens, and equipment  To designate your gift, write "Disaster Services" in the designation field.

Tips on giving: Do give to an established charity, do designate your gift, don't go through telemarketers, do research and follow up, and do give online.

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Content credit: KNCI, Network for Good, and Charity Navigator

Sandy Hayden