Omega Chi's commitment to provide community service has increased in intensity and as visibility continues to increase so are the requests for the chapter's involvement. As such we have been called upon to partner with a number of organizations and community leaders to address various health care issues in the Brooklyn community. This became more significant during Hurricane Sandy and continues to expand today.
Here in New York we were faced with a disaster once more, however this was unlike any other, this was a natural disaster of which we had no control. Many of our communities were affected, including those in which members in our own chapter reside. One member despite having no electricity or heat left her home to volunteer at a shelter that was set up in a local school. Despite our personal difficulties the chapter came together and decided that we needed to go into action and that began a consolidated and targeted program of significantly impacting the course of assistance provided to communities affected by this catastrophic event.
We contacted one of the representatives from the New York City Council; our Congressman Mr. Hakeem Jeffries' office and identified ourselves. We informed the office of our mission and role in the community and volunteered to become involved. The members donated as well as secured donations from family members and friends several bags of personal care items, coats, shoes, toiletries household items and groceries.
There are two organizations that Omega Chi has joined in partnership for several years in outreach to the community. They are The Carlton Locksley-Bennett Foundation and Health Educational Relief Organization. Immediately we reached out to them and all three organizations decided to become involved in this together. Not only did we work together with these organizations but many members included their spouses and children to assist. One member suggested that a letter be sent to local merchants to procure sleeping blankets. Even though there was difficulty in securing these items an alternative source was sought, members then purchased some of these items personally and donated them on behalf of the chapter.
Several members of Omega Chi visited the city council representative's office where a command center was set up. There for several hours we sorted and bagged clothing and various items to be distributed to the families affected. While some members were there attending to sorting, others were at another location with their spouse collecting and delivering generators which were provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)to homes that had been affected across Brooklyn and Far Rockaway that were affected. After sorting, bagging and distributing the items the members joined with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and assisted in serving hot meals to approximately 200 Residents. These Residents were provided with household supplies to assist in cleaning their homes affected by the flood waters.
We were then notified by the president of Caribbean American Nurses Association (CANA) of a family in Brooklyn who was severely affected. The flood waters had risen into the first floor apartment which housed two sisters on that level and their elderly mother on the upper level. What was most disturbing was that both sisters were affected with Multiple Sclerosis. One was bed bound and she had to be hoisted and lifted in the Hoyer Lift until the fire department was able to move her to a higher section of the apartment. The other had difficulty walking but she was assisted to the upper level apartment. They lost the entire contents of the apartment including food supplies. Within a few days due to the dampness of the apartment the mother came down with a cough. At the same time she needed her medication and could not go to her PCP for her scheduled visit. Suddenly we were faced with several challenges to which Omega Chi rose and was able to coordinate interventions for a successful outcome.
One member and her spouse went to the home and removed all the damaged furniture wet clothing and household items. He then enlisted a few men from the community whom he paid and they replaced the flooring free of cost to this family. After the repairs and clean up was completed both daughters were able to return to the first floor apartment as it was better equipped for all of the assistive devices that they had to utilize daily. Omega Chi together with HERO provided a month's supplies of groceries. The Basileus prepared and delivered cooked meals for this family for a several days.
We then had to address the issue of health care and who better to address this than Nurses. So we felt well prepared and privileged to be given this opportunity and Omega Chi utilized our resources and our partnerships to assist. We enlisted the President of HERO who is a medical Doctor and together with the Basileus a home visit was made to this family. The elderly mother was evaluated she was instructed on what she should be looking for to determine if there was development of mold. Medication was prescribed for her and a member secured same from the pharmacy and delivered to the home. A follow up visit was made one week later, at which it was determined that her symptoms had resolved thus allaying our fears of mold infection. This family was followed up for approximately three months after to ensure that no further assistance was needed.
The Thanksgiving day which was a few weeks after the disaster many families sorely needed help, so together with our other two partners and several churches we rallied around the victims. A dinner event was held at a school in Far Rockaway, an area in which there was significant flooding and devastation. Apart from providing hot meals Omega Chi and HERO did gather groceries and toiletries and distributed to approximately 80 families. During this event several children books were distributed to the children who were affected. While the children were there with their parents, members from the collaborating teams read to these children. The aim was to help to distract them from the painful tragedy of losing their homes and having to move to shelters or to family and friends. On that same day one of our newest members transported and distributed trays of hot meals to another community. This was such a great day of activities and fulfillment that later in the evening we were then able to go to our own families and be grateful for our blessings of having our homes, families and provided the opportunity to serve others. We were able to fulfill Chi Eta Phi's motto of "Service to Humanity".
The ability of Omega Chi to intervene and significantly make an impact on health care and events in the community was evident after this catastrophic event. Well after the situation became stabilized and a return to some level of normalcy we continued to monitor the situation especially the family who we were working with. We continued to provide groceries to this family for several weeks with the support of HERO Inc. who assisted in purchasing them. In an effort to assist families affected, especially when it was so close to the holidays, Omega Chi reached out to many of them and provided Thanksgiving baskets to twelve families. Supplies for these baskets were donated by members. These baskets were then taken to each home and well wishing cards were given to each family.
This collaboration despite the circumstances under which we were summoned into action provided an opportunity for increased visibility in the community. There was a deep sense of satisfaction. This project highlighted the commitment of members to service and solidified the relationship of several organizations, as we work around one common purpose of taking care of our community. This could only have been accomplished by a dedicated team working purposefully as our mascot- the turtle.