After an early—and well deserved—barrage, media coverage of Hurricane Sandy and its effects seems to have tapered off. Our East Coast neighbors continue to suffer from the effects, yet it seems to be getting harder to remember the groups that helped out those in need. Here at 3 Guys From Brooklyn, we’d like to give some well-deserved recognition to those who invested in returning some kind of normalcy to the storms victims’ lives.
Here in our area, local community & political groups have launched a major fundraising initiative called the Brooklyn Recovery Fund. A joint effort between the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Brooklyn Recovery Fund gave $250,000 of grant money to an array of local relief groups just a few weeks ago. We learned about their program when the Chamber called us up asking for food donations; Three Guys donated six boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables toward their effort to feed victims of the storm. The fund is still active; if they continue to get donations, they’ll be able to help even more people and organizations in the future. If you’d like to help Sandy victims return to normalcy, you might want to check out the Brooklyn Recovery Fund.
While donating food and essentials is a worthy effort, there’s nothing like going to the affected areas and lending a personal hand. Mercy Chefs did just that, when they traveled to New York to help distribute meals. Based in Virginia, Mercy Chefs sends mobile food trucks throughout the country in times of need, and it recognized the needs created by the storm and its aftermath. They handed out tons of steaming plates from their trucks, and even donating a thousand of them for a Thanksgiving feast! Mercy Chefs have since gone to other areas of the country to help those in need, but their generosity shown to Sandy victims was truly outstanding.
Of course, many of our fellow New Yorkers lent a hand! Lots of New Yorkers busted out out the pots and pans to provide hot meals to Sandy sufferers. Bay Ridge Cares formed soon after Sandy hit, and by the time they finished their stint at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church they had served over 76,000 meals! When Bay Ridge Cares contacted 3 Guys for assistance in November, we donated more than 200 pounds of our fruits, vegetables and other groceries. Of course, there must be something different about seeing suffering first hand instead of just hearing about it in the media: when I personally witnessed the devastation created by Sandy, as well as the dedicated service provided by Bay Ridge Cares, I knew I had to help even more. Three Guys continued to provide Bay Ridge Cares with fruit and vegetables to prepare their meals, and were grateful for the opportunity and good fortune that allowed us to help!While Bay Ridge Cares had to leave St. Mary’s so the church could begin renovating its property, other groups are still helping hungry people throughout the city.
We suggest you check out some food pantries in your area, to see how you can volunteer to help not just Sandy victims but those whose life circumstances might have taken a bad turn. When you see all of the people you might be able to help, and the suffering you might be able to ease, I know it will be hard to do nothing. Pitch in, New Yorkers!
In 1998, when Scott Zimmerman saw that the business then occupying his father Stanley’s old produce store at 65th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway wasn’t doing well, he, his brother Howard, and long-time friend Philip Penta, Sr. decided that this was their chance… 
