"We Can Get Back on Our Feet Now."

Although Edward Gralla and his family evacuated their home in Far Rockaway in advance of Superstorm Sandy last October, they returned to find with six feet of water in the basement.

With their rental now unlivable, Gralla’s wife and four of his children then stayed with relatives. Gralla himself, along with a special-needs child, took refuge in a Red Cross shelter near where they’d lived.

“It was very nice there,” he said. “We had a place to sleep, it was heated, we had Kosher food.”

About three weeks later, the family moved to temporary lodgings in a FEMA hotel.

On April 30, Gralla accepted a check from the Red Cross that will allow the family to move into a brand new rental in Far Rockaway.

“Red Cross helped with the rent, security and moving expenses,” said Gralla. “I thank them very much for that. It’s wonderful, wonderful help. We can get back on our feet now.”

Photo: Superstorm Sandy survivor Edward Gralla accepts a recovery check from Kathy Massar, Red Cross casework supervisor from the Northeast California chapter, and Robert Callender, Manager, Move in Assistance program for Queens, from the Greater Carolinas chapter in Charlotte, N.C.