Many neighbors have been asking about ways to donate various items to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. Thanks to a neighbor, Cindy, we learned about a brand new (only about a week old!) Philly Hub for Occupy Sandy NJ, where Cindy volunteers and where you can drop off your donations. The Hub is located at 2nd and Spring Garden and is currently accepting the following donations:

ITEMS NEEDED
Safety Equipment/Muck out Gear
tarps, pry bars, heavy-duty garbage bags
OSHA N95/N92 facemasks
waterproof boots, work gloves
hazmat suitsor heavy-duty overalls
waterproof plastic bins
headlamps, flashlights, batteries

Construction Equipment
drywall, floorboards, Lumber
joints, insulation, wiring

Appliances
hot water heaters
refrigerators, stoves (gas or electric)
newer model personal computers
electric wheelchairs
generators

NOT NEEDED
Clothes (except socks, underwear, heavy winter coats)
Food (except baby food, pet food & bottled water)
Toys

In addition to accepting donations, the Occupy Sandy NJ Hub also has the capability (through the wonders of the internet) to dispatch skilled workers and volunteers to areas where they are needed. Usually they would come to the Hub, find out where they are needed, and transportation would be provided.

“Saturdays will be designated as Workday Saturdays, and we hope to have a van going to different shore points. Our Food Committee will be making bagged lunches, which will be provided for both the volunteers and the people they serve,” says Cindy.

PHILLY HUB FOR OCCUPY SANDY NJ
Philadelphia – Main Distribution Hub – Occupy Sandy NJ
Transport Workers Union Local 234
500 N. 2nd St. Philadelphia, PA 19123
Now open: M-S, 9-5
609-318-4271
Website: http://www.OccupySandyNJ.org/

Sylvia Platypus.

Many neighbors have been asking how they can help Hurricane Sandy victims and here’s a great opportunity. On Saturday, Nov. 10, “psycho-Celtic glam-blues band” Sylvia Platypus (Facebook page), along with a contingent of clowns, jugglers, dancers, face painters, sword swallowers, and fire spinners, will take over the Rotunda at 4014 Walnut St. for a circus-themed extravaganza with music, food, and spectacle to aid those affected by the superstorm.

“As Sandy hit the Caribbean, the suggestion for a hurricane relief concert was raised,” said Janet Bressler, vocalist and principal songwriter for Sylvia Platypus. “Then, the devastation arrived so close to home, and the choice became obvious.”

Sylvia Platypus has a “something-for-everyone” appeal that reaches across demographics and their visionary scope and fearless presentation are attracting increasing attention from both the public and the music industry. The band recently signed a publishing deal for film and TV placement of some of their compositions.

The show begins at 8 p.m. and suggested donation is $5 to $25+. For more information, visit therotunda.org or the event’s Facebook page.

The West Philadelphia Cooperative School (4625 Baltimore Ave.) will be collecting donated items for victims of Hurricane Sandy after its open house tomorrow – from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Volunteers are specifically asking for clothing, linens and cleaning products, but all donations will be accepted. The donation drive begins after the school’s open house, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Donated items will be distributed to shelters on Staten Island.

A young woman who died on Monday night in Brooklyn when a tree fell on her during Hurricane Sandy had West Philly connections.

Jessie Streich-Kest, 24, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and spent many hours working with homeless families and tutoring neighborhood children. She was a member of Penn Haven, a campus group “dedicated to people suffering homelessness and economic injustice,” according to its website.

Streich-Kest, a Brooklyn native, was walking her dog with a friend, Jacob Vogelman, during the storm when a tree fell on them. Neighbors discovered the two several hours later, Ditmas Park Corner reported.

Friends and relatives have flocked to Ditmas Park Corner to post tributes to Streich-Kest and Vogelman, including Streich-Kest’s former classmates from Penn. Here’s what one of them wrote:

“Jessie Streich-Kest was an extraordinary person, and I am tremendously privileged to have been her friend. No one I have ever met has devoted more of her life to service, to social equity, and to her friends than Jessie. Whether it was tutoring students in West Philadelphia, working to help the homeless, or dropping everything to listen to your problems, Jessie always strove to leave a positive mark on the world.”

If you knew Jessie, feel free to leave a comment.

The intersection of Melville St and Baltimore Ave.

All in all it appears that most of West Philly fared pretty well during Hurricane Sandy. There have been reports of pockets of power outages due mostly to downed trees. For example, a fallen tree near the intersection of Melville Street and Baltimore Avenue has left about half-dozen residents there without power.

Most businesses are going back to their regular hours and SEPTA was scheduled to reopen subway, El, trolley and 80 percent of city bus routes and 60 percent of suburban bus routes at Noon on Tuesday. However, there will be no regional rail routes. Check www.septa.org for specific bus route info.

Flights are expected to resume at the Philadelphia International Airport this afternoon.

Schools, city offices and courts remained closed Tuesday, but will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 31.

A large branch dropped near the corner of 46th and Pine last night.

In parts of West Philly we have big old trees with lots of dropped leaves. They are already clogging street gutters.

UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): Philadelphia public schools will be closed tomorrow, Superintendent William Hite announced. Also, SEPTA will reinspect tracks and routes after the storm. Service is canceled for Tuesday morning.

As of 2 p.m., there haven’t been any power outages reported in West Philly. Please check the PECO Power Outage map for updates. What appears to be a problem already is leaf-clogged street gutters. If you have one near your home, you might want to take a minute to clear it.

We included some storm prep tips in a post yesterday. You can find that here. At the end of this post we have some important phone numbers and an embedded #sandyinphilly Twitter feed, which many local media outlets are using to keep people updated.

Here are some other closures for Tuesday:

• Public schools are closed, Superintendent William Hite announced.

• No SEPTA service Tuesday morning.

• City offices closed.

• Courts closed.

• City trash pickup scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled. If Tuesday is your day, hold off until next Tuesday.

• Most Amtrak routes in the Northeast have been cancelled. They have good info on their Facebook page here.

If you need some last-minute supplies, here are some businesses that are open as of about 2 p.m.:

• Mariposa Food Coop is open and just got in a big produce and bread delivery from Four Worlds Bakery. (Update: Mariposa is closing at 5 p.m.)

• Milk and Honey Market is open at 45th and Baltimore.

• Supremo Shop n’ Bag on Walnut Street between 43rd and 44th plans to stay open until 3 p.m.

• For halal supplies, Makkah Market at 4249 Walnut St. is open.

• CVS at 43rd and Locust will be open indefinitely. The manager there said they will be open until the electricity goes out.

• Green Line Cafe and Earth Cup are open. (Update: Earth Cup has reportedly closed)

• The Gold Standard will be serving their weekend brunch today and tomorrow.

• Fu-Wah Market is open at 810 S. 47th St.

• The Dollar Store on 48th between Spruce and Pine is open and they have a pretty good selection of candles remaining and a bunch of flashlights.

If you know of some businesses that should be on the list, leave a comment below, tweet us at @westphillylocal or drop us an e-mail at: editor@westphillylocal.com.

If you see animals in need or find pets during/after Hurricane Sandy, please immediately contact:

PhillyPAWS
[tel: 215-238-9901/phillypaws.org]

PSPCA
[tel: (215) 426-6300/pspca.org]

ACCT
[tel: (267) 385-3800/acctphilly.org]
Some important numbers:

PECO Energy Customer Service: 1-800-494-400
PECO Energy Emergency Hotline: 1-800-841-4141
Philadelphia Water Department (PWD): 215-685-6300
Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW): 215-235-1212

Tweets about “#sandyinphilly”