Rebuilding Together Bergen County Receives $500,000 Grant from Red Cross to Restore 30 Homes Damaged by Hurricane Sandy

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Bergen County, NJ – October 17, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Rebuilding Together Bergen County and the American Red Cross have joined forces to help bring 30 Bergen County homes flooded by Hurricane Sandy back to safe and healthy housing conditions.  Thanks to a $500,000 Red Cross grant, homeowners in Little Ferry and Moonachie will finally be rebuilding their lives and returning to their homes.  Part of this funding will go to making critical repairs on homes in Moonachie in October and next January as part of Kickoff to Rebuild, an NFL-sanctioned event hosted by Rebuilding Together, in advance of next year’s Superbowl XVIII in the Meadowlands.

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Rebuilding Together’s skilled and general volunteers, as well as electricians, plumbers, and contractors, will provide critical home repairs that address electrical and plumbing issues, flooring, drywall, appliance and cabinet replacement, painting, and exterior clean-up, with the goal of ensuring all of the homes are safe, healthy and livable.  Those eligible for services include low-income families, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

Rebuilding Together affiliates in New York City, Long Island, and Jersey City also received grants from the Red Cross, bringing the total Red Cross funding for Rebuilding Together’s Sandy recovery to $2.5 million for the restoration of nearly 90 homes in the region.

“We are grateful to the Red Cross for helping us rebuild homes and lives devastated by Hurricane Sandy,” said Gretchen Viggiano, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Bergen County.  “Senior citizens and working families lost so much to the floodwaters, and many are still displaced or without the use of their first floor. The Red Cross grant will help us get them back home and back to normal.”

As of October 2013, hard-working Rebuilding Together affiliates in New Jersey and New York had already completed more than 250 projects, assisting more than 435 individuals, thanks to the help of over 3,100 volunteers.

“Recovery from a storm of this size takes time and help from many different organizations, not just the Red Cross, and we are pleased to support the programs of Rebuilding Together and other partners, and to continue to work with them to help people with their recovery,” said Mathieu Nelessen, regional CEO, American Red Cross North Jersey Region . “We can help people and communities in a more comprehensive way when we pool our resources and services together in a coordinated way. This not only speeds recovery, but helps us engage the entire community in building the resilience we need as we face disasters of this type in the future.”

About Rebuilding Together:

Rebuilding Together believes that everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home.  Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients.  Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country.  Our nearly 200 affiliates complete 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of close to 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled tradespeople, and everyday good citizens.  Join us – visit www.RebuildingTogether.org. You can also follow Rebuilding Together on Twitter @rebldgtogthr or become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/RebuildingTogether.

About Rebuilding Together Bergen County:

Rebuilding Together Bergen County has been serving the area for 15 years and provided assistance to some 350 homeowners in 45 towns. Our core home-repair work focuses on home safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility for seniors, the disabled, veterans, and families with children.  Since Hurricane Sandy, we have completely restored six homes (with five more under construction) and the Little Ferry Hook & Ladder and Hose Companies, and re-insulated 150 mobile homes.  For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogetherBergen.org. You can follow us on Twitter @RT_Bergen or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/RebuildingTogetherBergenCounty.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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