World Vision targets most vulnerable and impoverished communities hit by superstorm

NEW YORK (October 31, 2012) — While the worst of Superstorm Sandy's destruction may be over, the long-term recovery of the hardest-hit communities battered along the Eastern Seaboard is just beginning. The Christian humanitarian relief organization, World Vision, is sending relief crews into some of the most vulnerable communities in New York, New Jersey and Kentucky to assess the extent of the damage, to find which areas need the most help, and determine how children are being affected by this storm. World Vision is connecting with local partners, such as churches and community groups, to distribute relief supplies to those who will need them most.

"Our teams are seeing an immediate demand for kits to clean up flood-damaged homes," says Phyllis Freeman World Vision's Domestic Disaster Response Director. "Blankets will also be essential in West Virginia and Kentucky where communities are experiencing heavy snowfall." World Vision’s pre-positioned relief supplies include emergency food kits, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, blankets and tarps.

World Vision’s relief operations are continuing despite the fact the organization’s storehouse in the Bronx was flooded by 3 to 4 feet of water in the storm. Staff returned to the storehouse today to begin clean-up operations. Up to a third of the stock in the warehouse has been destroyed, but many of the supplies prepositioned for emergency relief operations remain intact. A truckload of additional supplies is also en route to the disaster area from World Vision’s National Domestic Disaster headquarters in North Texas.

Beyond immediate relief needs, World Vision is also gearing up for the long-term assistance that will be needed along the Eastern Seaboard. In 2011, World Vision responded to six disasters in the United States benefiting nearly 40,000 people. In 2005, World Vision responded to Hurricane Katrina by opening a temporary 40,000-square-foot distribution center in New Orleans where $8.2 million in goods was distributed to more than 318,000 survivors.

You can help World Vision's relief efforts by going to www.worldvision.org/americanfamilies

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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. World Vision serves the world’s poor regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information please visit www.worldvision.org/press. Or follow them on Twitter at @worldvisionnews.