ST. GEORGE — Operation HOPE will host a free financial disaster recovery service event for Hurricane Sandy survivors on Saturday at New Dorp High School, Borough President James Molinaro said.
The free event, "Restore HOPE: Hurricane Sandy — A Day of Financial Recovery with Dignity," will allow families to get information, guidance and services all in one place, and can serve as an important tool for residents moving forward after the storm, Molinaro said.
"Somebody might have lost their documents, the water rushed in and they're gone," he said. "They can help you."
The event will be able to help families learn about mortgage deferments, obtaining lost or damaged documents, resolving insurance claims, and other services they might not be aware of or know how to get, said Mary Ehrsam, CEO of Operation HOPE New York.
"Families can come and have one place to get information that they need," Ehrsam said at a press conference.
Operation HOPE specializes in long term recovery efforts after disasters, and Ehrsam said the event will just be the first step in continuing work in the borough.
"This is just the first day of a long term commitment to Staten Island," she said. "We'll have full time staff that will be working in the field here."
Molinaro said that working with Operation HOPE can be very beneficial for residents, as they have already worked with many of the organizations giving out aid to victims and can get their calls answered.
"They have the ability of calling someone and getting their phone answered," he said. "Somebody's going to talk to them because they know them."
The event will be on Saturday, March 23, at New Dorp High School from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit Operation HOPE's website.
