Huntington Habitat Mobilizes in
Breezy Point
Hurricane Sandy devastated the small seaside community of Breezy Point in Queens almost beyond imagination. Water covered most of the area as the surging Atlantic Ocean swept all the way to Jamaica Bay on October 29. The raging sea led to an electrical fire in a house and quickly spread to others as 111 homes burned to the ground.
In the aftermath of that dark time, Huntington High School's Habitat for Humanity club mobilized and has spent countless Saturdays performing endless hours cleaning, demolishing and rebuilding homes in Breezy Point, which is located at the western end of the Rockaway peninsula.
Huntington's Habitat chapter was founded and is led by high school dean Robert Gilmor III. The educator meets club members at Huntington High School on Saturday at 7 a.m. before the group heads to Breezy Point for a hard day's work. Parents have been helping shuttle the students back-and-forth and Mr. Gilmor said more drivers are needed.
"Upon arrival we are given a very warm welcome by community members in Breezy, as well as the other volunteers that are there and ready to help," said Nikki Smoot, a senior and the vice-president of the Huntington club. "We are given hammers, pry bars, respiratory masks, gloves, and other tools necessary for our jobs. We do everything from picking up debris to moving sand out of the houses and local churches. We demolish walls, take down flooded and rotten wood and help get the homes ready for construction workers to come in and make them livable again."
Huntington Students Make a Difference
Huntington's Habitat club has made so many trips to Breezy Point the group has lost count. "I can't tell you specifically how many trips we have made, but we are fast approaching ten since the catastrophe," Mr. Gilmor said. "The Habitat staff in Breezy always welcomes us with open arms and the students work so very hard each and every time they go. Some of the students have gone multiple times and I know they are so inspired after a hard day of work. Progress is very slow, but with our weekly or every other week trips, we are making a dent. With facemasks, goggles and hammer in hand we enter each home with the plan to make a difference."
The Huntington teenagers and Mr. Gilmor were at it again in Breezy Point last Saturday. The group was assigned to assist in the gutting of a seriously damaged home. "The very deserving owner, an elderly man with Stage 2 cancer, was drastically affected by Sandy," Ms. Smoot said. "Water was seeping into his one story home until the level was above waist height. He was forced to swim to a neighbor's house, where he could seek shelter on their second floor during the storm. This man desperately wants to get back to living in his home and we were able to help expedite the process!
The Huntington students were lifesavers, helping a man in dire need. "We tore down walls, removed dry wall and insulation," Ms. Smoot said. "We collected the man's belongings that we found among the debris, like pictures and jewelry and set them aside for him. With our help, the man's home is almost ready to be renovated. He is ill and would love nothing more than to be back in his own home."
In addition to Ms. Smoot, Huntington's Habitat for Humanity club is led by Brian McConnell (president), Josh Morris (treasurer) and Scout Ziegler (secretary).
"The [Habitat] staff in Breezy know that we are there to help in whatever capacity they need us," Mr. Gilmor said. Contractors willing to donate their time and work alongside the Huntington Habitat for Humanity club members are encouraged to contact Mr. Gilmor at rgilmor@hufsd.edu. "I will make sure their talents are put to proper use," Mr. Gilmor said.
So Much to Do
Ms. Smoot said the Huntington club members were "most shocked" to see how extensive the destruction was in Breezy Point. "With all of the help they are receiving, there is still so much more to be done. Life in Huntington has returned to normalcy, yet thousands of families just an hour away are still without a safe place to call home. With such immense devastation in our own backyard, Huntington High School's Habitat for Humanity club is more than happy to help in any way we can. We are very fortunate to have a leader like Mr. Gilmor, who is passionate about helping families in need. He encourages us and makes helping others a fun and rewarding experience."
The members of Huntington's Habitat chapter recently voted to donate money to recovery efforts currently being orchestrated by James Killoran of the Habitat for Humanity of Westchester County affiliate. "Our neighbors are very much in need of all our support, so please get involved," Mr. Gilmor said.