Sandy

Our hearts and thoughts are with those on the east coast who are enduring calamity and distress as a result of storm Sandy. I was up a great deal last night watching the news and it the damage caused by this event will take years to recover from. Manhattan looked like the setting for an apocalyptic film. I kept waiting for the zombies to roll out.

The loss of life and property will continue to mount as people evacuate the city and are forced to leave behind parts of their lives that they may never get back. I spent some time at Ground Zero shortly after the September 11th attack and was overcome by the resilience and determination of so many people I met and worked with. What is unfolding right now will met head-on and I do not doubt the outcome from Sandy will be no different. It will be difficult but people will do what it takes to rebuild their lives. Many people went to hotels farther out of the city while others have abdicated their homes to stay with friends or families. Others are confined to, and reliant upon, emergency shelters.

But there is also a demographic that is seldom reported on. According to the 2012 New York City Department of Homeless Services, there were 3,262 unsheltered people living on the streets in New York City. While we do not typically attach a home to the homeless, it is important to remember that these individuals were also caught up in the malaise. Our thoughts are with them and their families, as well.