A week after superstorm Sandy, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are still without power and with no place to cook. The American Red Cross has helped prepare tens of thousands of meals and has delivered them to the areas that need them most. In a vast parking lot in Queens, Red Cross staff and volunteers are preparing and packing food for storm victims. Robert Baltadona oversees the 275 helpers at this facility, one of four in the area. "We have a bulk distribution system where we have heater meals, we have fruits, we have packaged cakes, we have water, we have snacks, and right behind these trucks right here we have a fully operable kitchen that is serving hotmeals at the rate of 30,000 meals twice a day," said Baltadona. Many of those meals contain so-called "comfort food." "For example, last night for dinner we served goulash. So this is food that is gong to make you feel good. This is food that is going to make you feel at home. Because that is exactly our mission. We want to make sure that people have a sense of normalcy even though we understand they have lost everything. A feeling of normalcy is critical for their recovery," explained Baltadona. The Red Cross is working closely with other humanitarian groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention. Their volunteers drove from Kentucky, more than 1,000 kilometers, to prepare hot meals. Karen Smith oversees the kitchen. "But I do not know that we are making a dent. There is a lot of people in New York," said Smith. |