STATEN ISLAND — The American Red Cross is giving nearly $3 million to help the city's Superstorm Sandy victim get back on their feet.
The $2.9 million grant was made to the New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) to fund their New York Unmet Needs roundtable which aims to give victims financial help for damages other emergency funds don't address, said Josh Lockwood, CEO of the Red Cross New York region.
“It’s people who have not qualified for other sources of support,” he said. “Sometimes it’s outside the box opportunities.”
Peter Gudaitis, chief response officer of NYDIS, said, “The whole goal of the program is to get families self-sufficient.
“It’s not a stop-gap measure, it’s not a capped entitlement, it is to give the families whatever they need to become self-sufficient again.”
Some examples for cases include a person who lost their car in the storm, but needs to drive to the doctor office for dialysis, Borough President James Molinaro said.
“When you go to FEMA they have specific purposes for the money,” he said. “Any agency you go to has a specific purpose, you can’t go off that track.
"This is to fulfil the need that is not being fulfiled now.”
The fund will be used to establish a long-term recovery resource that can be customized for victims of the storm. After applying for assistance from FEMA, residents can speak to their case worker to get set up with help from the unmet needs fund, Lockwood said.
The roundtable, which was established after 9-11, partners with relief and community groups to help victims.
