New York Times: Nonprofits & Case Managers Work Together Toward Progress After Sandy

In a recent New York Times article, Reporter Liz Robbins details how nonprofits, including the American Red Cross, are still working together to help people affected by Superstorm Sandy and the critical role disaster case managers are playing in advocacy and support for those individuals.

In the article, Robbins highlights the work of a Red Cross disaster case manager advocating on behalf of a woman in her 90s still recovering from Sandy many months after the storm. Red Cross case managers, like the one mentioned, are working hard every day to provide compassionate case management assistance to people whose homes were damaged by Sandy. That assistance includes working with residents to develop recovery plans that outline ongoing disaster-related needs (repair, health, emotional, and/or financial) and helping people navigate community-based services that can address these needs.

The Auer family’s experience illustrates the positive impact that case management can have on a family working to meet its recovery goals. On June 11, the Auers celebrated returning to their Staten Island home, which had been destroyed by Sandy. Chris Losavio, Red Cross disaster case manager, worked closely with the family, guiding them through rebuilding processes with nonprofit partners, helping them access financial assistance to meet needs for basic household items like furniture and appliances, and even organizing Red Cross volunteers to help install flooring, windows, and trim in the home so that the family could return.

“When I met Chris he said, ‘I’m not letting you go until we get things going.’ If it wasn’t for Chris, I would not be home because he got the ball rolling,” Laura Auer said.

Chris Losavio, Red Cross case manager, helped the Auer family of Staten Island navigate the many recovery resources necessary to get them back home after Sandy.

The Red Cross is one of many agencies that assists Sandy-affected residents with case management resources. In New York State, the primary provider of this support is the New York State Disaster Case Management Program. If you or a loved one is affected by Sandy and are in need of case management assistance, call the New York State Disaster Case Management referral line at 1-855-258-0483.

In addition to case management, thanks to generous donations from across the country, the American Red Cross is proud to have funded more than 80 community-based organizations that are rebuilding homes, communities and lives.

Josh Lockwood, CEO, American Red Cross Greater New York Region, speaks at a press conference on July 2, 2013, announcing nearly $3 million in Red Cross funding for the New York City Unmet Needs Roundtable.

To date, the Red Cross has provided nearly $88 million in grant funding to non-profit partners active in the recovery from Sandy throughout eight states. The Red Cross is the largest single funder of Unmet Needs Roundtables across New York State,providing nearly $3 million to the New York City Unmet Needs Roundtable, managed by New York Disaster Interfaith Services, and giving $1 million to the Health and Welfare Council on Long Island for the Long Island Unmet Needs Roundtable. The Red Cross also provided funding to other groups listed in Robbins’ article including: United Methodist Committee on Relief, The Salvation Army, Gerritsen Beach Long Term Recovery Project, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, World Cares Center, Shorefront Y, New York Legal Assistance Group, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation.