Keeping the Ball Rolling: Staten Island Five Months Later

             We're what seems like a long way from October, 2012. We've made it through Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's day, surviving some of the most hectic times of the year. The kids are back to school and we've all fallen back into out normal routine.
 
             Since Sandy struck the East Coast, leaving many homeless or in homes without power for weeks, we've had several shootings and a snow storm or two. Still, everyday I think of Staten Island from my home in Ohio. It got to the point that my four year old would ask me, anytime I started getting rid of stuff, "Are you sending that to New York."

              I think it's time for those of us who don't live on Staten Island, and have no friends or family to tell us, remind us, that recovery is still very much ongoing, to have a refresher. There may no longer be walls of debris in front of all the house, but there are still many houses renovating and dealing with the aftermath of the flooding and there are homes being demolished.

              This week on HBO's Girls, there was a session of Staten Island bashing. I get that being funny sometimes crosses lines and I also understand that this was shot months ago. However, the show could have used this as a way to raise awareness by running PSA's or commercials for charities. The absolute least the could have done was run a list of places to which you can donate to the still recovering people of Staten Island. In the aftermath of the show there has been a lot of talk of Staten Island, which is great, but lets make it talk with meaning.

              Today, as I was reading an article about the TV show, I also remembered another article I read recently. It had pictures of the devastation and it's a great reminder of why we still need to help. The article is located here.

              We need to remember that this is a community that, despite it all, has pulled together and helped each other. A community whose response to being forgotten was to take matters into its own hands and make a charity to help each other. Staten Strong has done so much and can only stand to help so much more. To donate, go to www.statenstrong.com they have shirts, hoodies, hats, or you can just donate money. There are no hoops, the help goes directly to people at street level. And once all this has settled, imagine all the good work Staten Strong can continue to do in other avenues.

              My blog has become just as much known for my support of Staten Staten strong and their efforts as it has as a blog about my journey into Buddhism, but I see the connection. Some of the main principals in Buddhism are compassion and loving-kindness. You find me a group that represents those two things more than the people over at Staten Strong and I'll buy you a pizza from Denino's, it might take me a while to get there, but you get my point.

             So, please, continue to keep Staten Island in your thoughts, lets make them the Unforgettable Borough instead of the forgotten one.


Angry Girl