Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) recently sent a letter to major corporate companies, including Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and Target, thanking them for their very generous support in the weeks and months immediately following Sandy, and asking that they consider increasing their relief efforts to ease recovery for victims of Hurricane Sandy in Southern Queens and Rockaway.

“The kindness and generosity of others has been overwhelming, however, it has been more than 100 days since the storm and many families in Southern Queens and Rockaway are still struggling to repair their homes and replace lost items,” Assemblyman Goldfeder said. “The costs add up and there’s a lot of ways major companies can help relieve the financial burden by waiving store fees, offering free shipping or issuing an exclusive Sandy Relief Discount Card.”

Assemblyman Goldfeder added his voice to the call that was started by community leaders in the Sandy devastated areas including Hank Iori, President of Belle Harbor Property Owners Association, who proposed corporate businesses, issue a “Sandy Relief Card,” that would allow families to replace lost household items from kitchen appliances to drywall to front yard greenery. Residents would use the card to receive a discount on all purchased items, and additionally, any customer who purchases a large amount of goods could be eligible for a free home delivery.

“I probably spent a minimum of $2,000 in Home Depot and each day I’m still finding more things I need to replace: new lawn mower, power washers, tools, table saw, snow blower,” said Hank Iori, President of Belle Harbor Property Owners Association. “You go to the store looking to replace lost items and you spend a fortune. As a show of support for valued consumers, it would be a tremendous help if these companies showed some courtesy of helping their loyal customers in their most desperate time of need.”

“Any assistance would immensely benefit our families and small businesses allowing for a rapid recovery.” said Assemblyman Goldfeder, “We appreciate all the generosity that has been shown to our communities but our families and children are still suffering and we need all the help we can get.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)