b'AfterHurricaneSandyhittheeastcoastoftheUnitedStatesinlateOctoberof2012,thousandsofpeoplewerelefthomeless,withoutpower,andmanywereleftwithouthope.SeasidecommunitiesinNewYorkandNewJerseywerehitthehardest.Itwasimmediatelyapparentthatemergencyaidwasvital,andthat thegrassrootseffortsoflocalIrishcentersintheareawereprovingtobeeffectiveinreachingthoseinneed.IrishCentral.comlaterreported,TheAmericanIreland Inparticular,agrantof$100,000fromAmericanIrelandFund was quickest to the rescue. Within hours of the super Fund Board Director Bob McCann and his wife Cindy kickedstorm passing through, The American Ireland Fund assessed offthefundraisingforemergencyreliefefforts.Other the situation and provided grants to:donations followed and in total, over $250,000 was granted to The New York Irish Center, Long Island these organizations working on the ground.The Emerald Isle Irish Center, Queens Efforts did not stop with the emergency aid. The Ireland The Aisling Irish Center,Funds Young Leaders organized fundraising events in NYC,the Bronx and Queens Dublin,andWashingtonDCtoraisefurthersupport.The The Breezy Point CooperativeAmerican Ireland Fund along with the Irish Government andDisaster Relief Fund numerous Irish American community groups organized two The Parish of St. Francis De Sales,Irish Days of Action for volunteers to go to the hardest hitBelle Harbor New York areas and assist with clean up and rebuilding.The FoodBank of Monmouth/It is acknowledged that the communities hit will never beOcean County New Jersey the same. But while the infrastructure will change, neighbor- The Mayors Fund hoods are slowly being rebuilt and hope is being restored.TheIrelandFundsandtheirsupportersareproudtohaveplayed a small part in helping restore this hope by showingthe best of the global Irish making a difference together.connect 2013 | 49'