In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Save the Children is in
New Jersey and New York, setting up safe play areas in
shelters where hundreds of children can be kids again.
The "superstorm" devastated
the East Coast, displacing thousands from their homes
for weeks to come.
"Hurricane
Sandy impacted millions of lives, forcing many families
in high-risk areas to flee from their homes and seek
safety in shelters. Here at Save the Children, we know
from experience that children are always the most
vulnerable in any emergency situation," said Carolyn
Miles, Save the Children�s president and CEO. "Through
our preparedness, response and recovery programs, we
continue to put the unmet needs of children and their
caregivers most in need first."
Many of the displaced families are socio-economically
vulnerable and may have to remain in shelters for weeks
to come. To help establish a sense of normalcy in
shelters, Save the Children is providing kid-friendly
activities to create a safe and supportive place for
children to play with their peers and caring adults in
the midst of the turmoil that surrounds them
Kids Sheltering at Nassau Community College, Atlantic
City Convention Center Get Safe Play Areas
Called child-friendly spaces, the safe play areas allow
children to play, socialize, and begin to recover from
emotional distress during emergencies. Save the
Children, working with FEMA, the Red Cross, the city of
New York and other partners, is implementing
child-friendly spaces at a number of shelters in New
York and New Jersey, including the mega shelters in
Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y., and at
the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City,
N.J. Geared toward younger children, each kit includes
age-appropriate fun activity items, such as a play mat,
jump ropes, books, toys, arts and craft supplies and
board games.
In addition to child-friendly spaces, Save the Children
is providing basic necessities for young children, such
as nutritious food items, baby blankets, clothing and
hygiene supplies. The agency is also working with
families, communities and partner organizations to
provide long-term assistance to help families return to
normalcy, go back to a liveable home, send their
children to school, and have access to child care. Save
the Children also plans to initiate its proven school-
and community-based psychosocial support programs for
children and adult caregivers.