Robicelli's

Though we have a very sizable audience on Tumblr, there’s been only one time I’ve ever begged our followers to share one of our posts- last year when we were helping Mikey, our friend’s son with brain cancer*. 

This needs to be shared. It’s from a mom who’s son is in a school in my district. The neighborhoods that she’s referring to are places I have friends, places I’ve grown up in. Places you probably haven’t seen on tv because they’re not Manhattan where all the rich people live, or trendy like Red Hook or Greenpoint.

Please reblog this post. Share on your Facebook pages. Tweet it. We can’t let working class Brooklyn be ignored. The city workers who saved us this week- FDNY, NYPD et al- none of those people live in Manhattan. They live in places like Breezy Point and Sheepshead Bay and Staten Island. And 3 days later help still hasn’t showed up in those places.

*If you followed the Mikey story and wanted an update: his family lives in Rockaway. Their house and everything they owned has been destroyed.

From: viktoria <vicka1@optonline.net>
Date: November 1, 2012 12:57:16 PM EDT
To: 'Ella' <eroyzman@yahoo.com>
Subject: hurricaine sandy bsi kids need your help

Dear fellow BSI parents:
 
As I write this my 1st grader, Ethan, has lost his home.  I am willing to bet he is far from the only child at BSI.  Their possessions, lives, trophies and art projects are under dirty sewage water and ruined.  All our stuff is gone, and what is left is unusable.  He asked me to go trick or treating yesterday and I finally broke down and cried.  His costume was of course under water but he still hasn't processed that he can't go home, can never see his room again and won't get to be ninja for Halloween.  Our neighborhood of Sheepshead bay looks like a war zone.  Manhattan and Brighton beach neighborhoods looks like a bomb went off.  Seagate looks like a nuclear explosion. 
 
Yet when you turn on TV you are very unlikely to hear words such as Sheepshead bay and Manhattan beach.  Many of you might be completely unaware of what is happening down here.  We have been ignored, abandoned by the media and the powers that be.  Street intersections have NO police officers regulating traffic.  Drivers are frustrated and dangerous it is very scary to walk around with your child.  Yet in midtown Manhattan there are police officers on every corner even though the traffic lights are working.  Our neighborhoods, whatever is left of them are being looted.  Yet I received an image from the upper east side of dozens upon dozens of national guard trucks being WASHED by the national guard soldiers who could instead be protecting our ravaged neighborhoods.  I have seen 1 news team in 4 days in sheepshead bay, it was from channel 12. (Editors note: nobody watches channel 12. I don't even know what cable system its on)
 
Here comes the ask for help.  I have friends to stay with, clothes for my children and toys.  What I don't have are fema trucks, con edison trucks and national guard.  What I need are patrol officers regulating our very dangerous streets.  If you know powers that be, please please please get in touch. Please someone do something before this situation is worse.  I am including my facebook page at the bottom of this email.  My friends and I have been posting and reposting videos and pictures taken from our ravaged neighborhoods. Please pass this letter along to other bsi parents. I know that there are people at BSI who can help.  Your kids classmates are in real, physical danger if not from the looters then from dangerous unregulated streets.
 
http://www.facebook.com/viktoria.tralala
 
- writing from lower 9th ward (aka sheepshead bay) circa 2005

For those of you outside of NYC who want to help- the moment I find an online donation site that is actually giving money to the most heavily affected neighborhoods and not to administrative costs or photo ops, I’ll let you know. But it sure as hell is not the Red Cross. UPDATE: DONATE TO THE BROOKLYN RECOVERY FUND or the TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION.

For those in Brooklyn, we’ve organized a children’s drive with the assistance of State Senate Candidate Andrew Gounardes & Councilman Vincent Gentile.  Drop off all gently used toys, books and children’s clothing to either 7321 15th Avenue in Dyker Heights, or 351 87th Street in Bay Ridge. Goods will be given to children in Gerritsen beach et al who have lost everything.

As for our business- we’re still not running yet. We’ll get there. Don’t worry about us right now- let’s help those families who really need it.