Cabin Fever Concert
w/ 3J’s  band
Folk & Bluegrass Rock

Saturday Feb 9^th   6 p.m.

Donations benefit SALT Recovery

Family Friendly Event

Beverages & Desserts Available

Goodwill Donation

Gallupville House
913 RT. 443, Gallupville, NY

For more information call 518-702-5017

Volunteers Make a Difference with SALT on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Schoharie Area Long Term (SALT) staff and AmeriCorp Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) members coordinated a volunteer weekend and preparedness campaign for the Corporation of National and Community Service's Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service. 

VISTA members and SALT affiliates, including Schoharie Recovery Inc., coordinated over 100 volunteers for the ongoing recovery efforts.  Work was accomplished at 7 flood damaged properties in both Schoharie and Middleburgh, at the CARE for NYS Donation Center and through surveying over 60 homes to assess their unmet recovery needs.  Both individuals and groups came out to volunteer.  Individuals ranged from Assemblyman Pete Lopez, Kathleen, Donna and Taryn from the Corporation for National and Community Service New York State Office and local residents Bob and Kathleen.  Groups came from the CEO-Youth Build AmeriCorps, Charleton School, HOBY, King of Kings Lutheran Church from Liverpool NY, Lakeview Community Church from Rochester NY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Rose College, and WalMart.  Additional volunteers included 5 who ran our Loaves and Fishes Café, serving lunches and snacks to the volunteers on both Saturday and Monday.  Every volunteer was enthusiastic about their work and SALT is truly grateful for their service.

In addition to service activities, AmeriCorps VISTA members worked in conjunction with Schoharie County Emergency Management Office to distribute books and pamphlets related to disaster preparedness to students in grades K to 5 in schools located in Schoharie County.  Readers are reminded that they can sign up for NY-Alert, a web-based portal for disseminating information to audiences within a defined geographical area, by registering on the website at www.nyalert.gov or by calling them at 1-888-697-7972.  A digital copy of the Emergency Information Handbook may be accessed by anyone at http://www.dhses.ny.gov/media/documents/2011_EI_Handbook.pdf  

Ways to Support the Ongoing Recovery Effort

Skilled Rebuilding Volunteer Labor Needs Electricians Carpenters Plumbers Insulation specialists Masons Drywall Installers Tilers Roofers HVAC Specialists One day and multiple day projects available! Sign-up to  Volunteer Here volunteer@saltrecovery.org  Volunteer Center Needs Please consider donating one or more of these needed items: Pick-up truck or work van to transport materials 500 or more N95 dusk masks Contractors bags or heavy duty garbage bags Click here for additional needs. Call 518-702-5017   General & Other Skilled Volunteer Labor Needs Donation Center: Front Desk Donation Center: Sorting Donation Center: Heavy Lifting Survey Calling Data Entry Fundraising Video Production  One day and multiple day projects available!   Sign-up to  Volunteer Here  volunteer@saltrecovery.org

Upcoming Event

Saturday Feb 9th at 6 p.m.

Cabin Fever Concert w/ 3J's  band 

Folk & Bluegrass Rock

Donations benefit SALT Recovery

Family Friendly Event

Beverages & Desserts Available

Goodwill Donation

Gallupville House  913 RT. 443, Gallupville, NY 

DONATE NOW!

SALT Executive Director, Sarah Goodrich is Named 2012 Times-Journal Star Sarah Goodrich, SALT Executive Director, is pleased to be chosen as the 2012 Times-Journal Star. She wishes to extend her gratitude  and share this recognition with all those who have worked so tirelessly on flood recovery in the Schoharie Creek basin and surrounding area. She realizes that she is lucky to be one star among many. Sarah Goodrich: Starring role in SALT, recovery 1/2/2013 By Jim Poole  One of the lynchpins of the Schoharie Valley's flood recovery--if not the lynchpin--is Sarah Goodrich. Ms. Goodrich has been the executive director of Schoharie Area Long Term recovery for more than a year, and as such, she's coordinated thousands of volunteers as the Valley gets back on its feet after Irene.  And for those tireless efforts, Ms. Goodrich is the 2012 Times-Journal Star.  Born in Ohio and raised in Georgia, Ms. Goodrich moved to the area years ago after marrying her husband, Dave. Ms. Goodrich has held a variety of jobs--outdoor educator, running camps, teaching, hospital social work, running a rehab kitchen and operating a small café in the Schoharie Pharmacy. In some way, all of them prepared Ms. Goodrich for flood recovery.  The Goodriches live in the Town of Wright, the last house before crossing the line into Schenectady County. Their 1750s farmhouse sits high on a hill, and Ms. Goodrich often told friends in Schoharie that "if they wanted to get away from flooding, they could come up here." In late August of 2011, two families did just that. "We thought it would be a few days of fun and games, but five or six months later. . ." Ms. Goodrich said. After the flood on Sunday the 28th, Ms. Goodrich went to Schoharie Reformed Church the following Tuesday, "and we couldn't believe what we saw. We pitched right in."  Ms. Goodrich's organizational skills soon kicked in. She and other church members divided tasks, with Ms. Goodrich agreeing to coordinate volunteers. "We knew by instinct that people would come, and we knew money would come," she said.  Ms. Goodrich and Pastor Sherri Meyer-Veen attended the first Ground Zero meeting at the Fairgrounds and returned to open a make-shift office in the church parking lot "with a card table and a clipboard." She helped organize the thousands of volunteers who turned out that Labor Day for Governor Andrew Cuomo's Labor for Your Neighbor, and, in an increasingly key task, helped get information out to the public. "The more information people have, the more it reduces anxieties," Ms. Goodrich said. "But it was so challenging. "People didn't have cell service, so we Xeroxed information and sent out runners. It was another way volunteers were essential."  Ms. Goodrich was among those who formed Schoharie Recovery in the early fall. SALT grew out of a meeting with FEMA representatives about a month later. "They impressed on us the idea that a coalition was necessary to coordinate all the volunteer groups and to do fundraising," she said. "The fundraising was especially important. Organizations weren't going to give money to each little volunteer group." And Ms. Goodrich agreed to be the executive director. "I just stepped up, and it just kept growing."  That it did. SALT at first helped the various groups work together. Early last summer, it began direct service, coordinating workers from church and service groups, VISTA, AmeriCorp, the Green Shirts and others. As always, the goal was to get families back into their homes, from Esperance up the Schoharie Valley to Prattsville.  Although Ms. Goodrich believes there's been much progress, she admits that there's still a long way to go.  "Some people think we're just about finished, but hard as it is to believe, people in need are still coming forward," she said. "They may be out of resources, hit walls financially or emotionally or didn't want to ask for help. If anything, the help is more meaningful now. We'll be here as long as there's a need."     That's the long-term aspect of SALT; it's not just a weekend or a month, but years. Ms. Goodrich accepts the challenge. "It's easy to respond to a crisis," she said. "But the long-term need is more difficult and more expensive. We realize that." The physical work may have wound down in late fall, but the winter is for planning--assessing needs, contacting volunteer groups, linking with skilled labor unions, recruiting local volunteers, seeking grants and more. "We're lining up our ducks for April," Ms. Goodrich said.  Help from out-of-area volunteers has been steady, she added, even though the flood is 16 months in the past. "So many come and expect to put in their couple of hours," Ms. Goodrich said. "But they say they'll be back--and they come back--because they see the need and see the gratitude and graciousness of the people here, and they want to be a part of it."  It's the same with fundraising. People and organizations continue to be responsive, Ms. Goodrich said, though SALT has received no government funds at all. "It's one of the things we're very proud of, but we'd love to see the government come through, especially when we see government money go to other areas for other reasons," she said. The reward in seeing how far the Valley has come far outweighs the frustrations, which is why Ms. Goodrich is in it for the long haul.  "I stuck with it because I care about these people and this area more than I realized," she said. "Together, we make it possible."    http://www.timesjournalonline.com/details.asp?id=78221   ________________________________________________________________________ Save The Date:   Saturday February 9 at 6pm Cabin Fever Concert & Dance Featuring The 3 J's Band Gallupville House, Gallipville, NY Proceeds to Benefit SALT   More information TBA SALT Recovery PO Box 777 Schoharie, New York 12157 saltrecovery.org

Join us!

Join us at Bombers in Schenectady for a Fundraiser to Benefit Schoharie Area Long Term Recovery!

Give the Gift of Home – Alternative Gift Giving for this Holiday Season

SALT, with agency partners has aided over 350 families with their recovery from the devastating floods of Hurricane Irene. However, resource gaps remain for many families.

 

SALT projects that millions of dollars are still needed to return these families to homes that are safe, sanitary and secure and with our Give the Gift of Home, alternative gift campaign we hope to come closer to our goal.

This fundraiser is part of a larger matching donation campaign for our Unmet Needs Committee where contributions made to this fund will be matched dollar for dollar - so if you choose to give your gift at the $3,000 level, that amount becomes $6,000. With this opportunity your gift will go twice as far in the recovery effort. This match applies to all donation levels in the alternative giving campaign, except for “Building the Capacity.”

Please visit http://saltrecovery.org/alternativegive.html for more information and to donate today!

After facing wide spread area disaster of historic proportion caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, government, social, educational, and faith agencies as well as business and community organizations together recognize the need to work together in disaster response, now and in the future.  Schoharie Area Long Term (SALT) was formed to be a coordinating council or regional coalition in order to provide Interfaith and inter-agency resources, advocacy, healing, support, and recovery assistance to those affected by disaster.  The “Schoharie Area” is defined as the extended Schoharie Creek Basin and surrounding areas.  This mission of SALT is carried out by communication, collaboration, coordination, and cooperation, with compassion.

Communication.  Establishing wide spread channels of accurate communication is one of the most valuable resources to any community, particularly in a time of disaster.  The more far reaching into the community between agencies, organizations, businesses, and faith groups, the greater the likelihood of widespread dissemination of information to those who need to receive it.  SALT’s existence and active role of communication will create communication networks between those in the communities involved already preparing and responding to disaster.  SALT’s active role of communication will also promote communication of accurate information pertaining to resources, advocacy, healing, support, and recovery assistance into the general populous.

Collaboration.  Inter agency and interfaith communication naturally leads to collaborative efforts.  Working together across agency lines is important in order to steward resources across the entire region, cut down on duplication of services, and better serve the unmet needs of the region.  Inter agency and inter faith collaboration may mean sharing resources, encouraging and directing clients between organizations, modifying existing programs to better serve the needs of the region, or seeking resources together in partnership.

Coordination.  With multiple agencies, organizations, businesses, and faith groups mobilizing to respond to disaster, some already forming into local area recovery groups, the response of each is enhanced by coordination of the whole.  Coordinating efforts of SALT will enhance the inter agency and inter faith missions already in place, servicing those in need by seeking to resource those already coordinating disaster response.  Coordinating between current efforts will seek to provide the right resources in the right place at the right time.  Resources may include information, personnel or volunteers, goods, finances, or services.

Cooperation.  Inter agency and inter faith collaboration in this region through SALT involves a
cooperative effort beyond what has previously existed.  Brought together by disaster, there is a recognition of the need for cooperation now and in the future.  Those involved with SALT recognize we can do better together in responding to disaster, now and in the future.  The cooperative response is community based and inter-disciplinary.

  
      Compassion.  SALT recognizes the unique character of each community and integrity of the region.  SALT seeks to promote the values of compassionate responding between partnering businesses and organizations, as well as in community response.  A compassionate response listens and is empathetic.  A compassionate response is kind and caring.  A compassionate response seeks to meet people where they are at, walk along side them as necessary, and empower them to help themselves.