Ready Rockaway’s Mission
Our mission is to raise awareness of the necessity for emergency preparedness and set up emergency protocols based on possible hazards unique to the Rockaways. We accomplish this by gathering a group of Emergency Preparedness Professionals to: formulate emergency plans; calculate which resources are available and which will need to be brought from outside the community; and to inform the public and the community on the plans and how to implement them.
Programs Offered:
Community Ambassadors
Pending:
The “Community Flood Watch Project is an initiative that uses citizen-community science to report flooding events in the Rockaway coastal communities. Using photographs and reports collected by trained community members can help researchers visualize how normal high tides could look in the future due to sea level rise.
Ready Rockaway Partnered with Mutual Aid Network of Southeast Queens and Rockaway; Black6Project; Oceanside Apartments; Carlton Manor Apartments; Far Rockaway Community Stakeholder; and Senator James Sanders Jr’s Far Rockaway Team for this project.
How is Ready Rockaway responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
Ready Rockaway is working closely with our community stakeholders, CBO’s and elected officials to ensure the safety of the community’s neighborhoods. Ready Rockaway in partnership with World Cares Center host a weekly conference call with Rockaway community groups to talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Describe your partnership with WCC
a. Why did you choose to partner with WCC.
Ready Rockaway have been partnering with WCC since 2014. We first served together on the Hurricane Sandy Queens Far Rockaway Broad Channel Long Term Recovery Group which Ready Rockaway Chaired in 2013. Subsequently, in 2014 Ready Rockaway reached out to NIEHS, who introduce us to WEACT and WCC and through an multi collaboration. We conducted a series of SuperStorm Sandy Trainings OSHA specific.
Why is WCC training important
Who benefit from these training?
The Rockaway community benefits from the trainings. Lesson learned from Hurricane Sandy exposed flaws in both our preparedness and resiliency capacity. To reduce harm, suffering and loss caused by disasters and to empower our underserved, at-risk community is paramount and so is WCC trainings.
Other Future Initiative Pending
We understand this is a concerning time and people want to protect themselves; they want to be well-informed and have their concerns and questions answered. (1) Delivery of training online with a ZOOM interactive discussion as a follow on; (2) Socially responsible training this would mean smaller groups, spaced 6 ft apart with hand hygiene, masks and gloves; (3) Door to door awareness delivered to the Seniors as a ” check in” conducted by WCC trainers who will wear gloves and a mask; (4) Ready Rockaway and Mutual Aid Network of Southeast Queens and Rockaway are currently assembling 200 Faceshields for distribution donated by The Black6Proect.
How Ready Rockaway’s community partners are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mutual Aid Network of Southeast and The Rockaways:
“We have engaged between 40-50 volunteers (in aggregate) who have committed their time and energy to ensure that their neighbors have the resources they need during this unprecedented crisis” says Founder Khaleel Anderson.
We receive food contributions from
1. Volunteers’ pockets
2. Local food pantries
3. Queens BP fresh food initiatives
4. Other Mutual Aid groups across Queens
Thus far, we delivered supplies to 1000 families and seniors
Oceanside and Oceanbay Apartments
“We have partnered to serve the Rockaway community by delivering nonperishable and fresh produce donated by City Harvest Service. Our operations included curbside pickup by community residents as well as deliveries to Oceanside Apartments, Redfern, Hamels, Carlton Manor, Beach 41st Apartments, Seaview Towers, and surrounding homes in Edgemere and downtown Far Rockaway communities. To date we have serviced over 400 families and engaged 15-20 volunteers (in aggregate) who have committed their time” says Doris McLaughlin, President Oceanside Apartments and City Harvest Partner. Team members includes: Lawanda Gainey Johnson, President Carlton Manor; Visol Smith, President Oceanbay Houses; Khaleel Anderson, Founder, Mutual Aid Network of Southeast Queens, and Rockaway; Lisa George Team Sanders (NYS Senator James Sanders Jr.’s office).
Black6Project
The Black 6 Project was born from a passion to help others in need. The founders Joseph Zoleta, David Guzman, and Francis Faustino have made it a career in taking care of those in need. Faustino is a board certified family practitioner and both Guzman and Zoleta are paramedics in New York City. James Bing, Vice President of Operations partnered with Ready Rockaway to distribute 800 Faceshields; Wheelchairs; and an Electronic Hospital bed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital; as well as, and One Standard Wheelchair to a senior living in downtown Rockaway.
Ready Rockaway, Black6Project and Mutual Aid Network of Southeast Queens and Rockaway are currently assembling 200 Faceshields for distribution.
Pesach Osina Far Rockaway Stakeholder has worked in partnership with NYC DOE giving out 4000 meals a day at the two kosher sites in Far Rockaway;5 town Market fed 950 families and packed 4350 boxes of food; Redfern Houses- 150 seniors every other week; Beach 41st housing – 20 seniors daily; White shul – 50 families daily; and First Presbyterian church – 125 people every Saturday.
