Posted on February 11, 2013

Robin Hood Foundation Announces $10.5 Million in Grants for Sandy Relief Efforts

The New York City-based Robin Hood Foundation has announced grants totaling $10.5 million to nonprofit organizations in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York working to assist victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Grants, which were made with funds raised by the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief, include $8.2 million to provide housing-related services. Grant recipients include groups in Ocean and Monmouth counties that are working to help New Jersey residents in those hard-hit counties rebuild and replace household possessions lost during the storm; the Freeport Community Development Agency on Long Island; and Operation Hope of Fairfield (CT), which is providing housing services and other emergency assistance to individuals and families in Fairfield County.

The foundation also awarded more than $1 million to health-related organizations, including $200,000 to the New York City-based Afya Foundation to equip medical practices serving low-income and immigrant individuals in Brighton Beach, Staten Island, and Coney Island with supplies and equipment; $80,000 to the Long Island-based Hispanic Counseling Center in support of bilingual, trauma-centered counseling for poor and uninsured Latino residents in Nassau County; and $50,000 in continued support to New York City-based Public Health Solutions.

In addition, the foundation awarded $833,000 in support of benefits counseling, $310,000 for food assistance programs, $135,000 in support of education initiatives, and $50,000 for emergency assistance efforts.

"Robin Hood is working diligently to get Hurricane Sandy relief funds into the communities that are struggling to rebuild from the storm," said Robin Hood executive director David Saltzman. "We have already granted 100 percent of the funds we raised prior to the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief, and we are on track to grant all concert funds within one hundred days of 12-12-12."