Recycling your Christmas tree is a simple way to do more than just buy a tree and throw it away without any sustainably conscious consideration. Obviously I'd prefer people to find other ways to celebrate the holiday without having to cut a tree down, but I don't want to be a grinch. The NYC sanitation department picks up trees curbside. Maybe next year you can come up with another way.
sort of a sad looking Urban Pine Tree forest, but it sure smells lovely
1 year later and so much has been rebuilt and so much has been left undone. In the aftermath of the storm one of the sad hard facts is the amount of lower income housing that is no longer available.
I want to honor those who did so much to help in the relief and rebuilding efforts that continue today. For those of us who remember days + weeks without water and electricity and who are now safe and warm, we have much to be thankful for.
One of the most amazing relief efforts came from Respond + Rebuild Occupy Sandy Recovery (Occupy Sandy is a grassroots disaster relief network that emerged to provide mutual aid to communities affected by Superstorm Sandy. They're also a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice so all donations are tax deductible)
I donated my subway tips to GrowNYC at the Union Square market that provided food for relief efforts. here's My clip:
by now most of our area is back to work, trains, tunnels and transit almost to 100% pre Hurricane schedules. But there are still pockets of devastation, people without power, without homes, and a sense of urgency to get back to "normal." I know it seems trivial, but today and all this week I will sing for NY and will be donating the contributions I receive to help those in need.
GrowNYC/Greenmarket and local community kitchens will be providing healthy food for those affected by Hurricane Sandy and relief workers. So I will be taking the contributions to the Union Square farmers market purchasing food as an immediate way to help.
(this week: Tuesday 13th in Grand Central Graybar corridor from 12-3, Wednesday 14th Columbus Circle uptown 1 platform 12-3), Thursday 15th WhiteHall SI ferry terminal 3-6, Friday Nov 16th at Union SQ 12-3)
I have been singing with the Music Under NY program since 1999, I sang throughout the 9-11 disaster and find comfort in being able to provide music in public spaces. Now through the contributions of commuters I have a wonderful way to help.
here's a short film I created to show my world as a subway musician