Remembering Hurricane Sandy with Frank Storch

Frank Storch

Frank Storch was in Israel with his wife when he heard that an unusually massive storm was on its way to the eastern seaboard. When he heard that Hurricane Sandy had wreaked unprecedented damage on New Jersey, New York and many other areas, Storch changed his travel plans and hurried home so he could help with the recovery.

When he arrived home to Baltimore, the following happened:

“A member of Hatzalah called, saying he was interested in taking some generators from Baltimore to New York. Instead of bringing just a few generators, I thought, Let’s make a large purchase of generators, gas cans, flashlights, batteries, lanterns—everything the communities would need.
“Home Depot in Baltimore was suspicious of the fact that we wanted to purchase hundreds of generators; they assumed we would be bringing them to New York to resell. I told them to speak with the attorney general of Maryland who knows me personally and could vouch for me. They contacted the attorney general and realized we had truly come to do a good deed. We ended up bringing 120 generators, 250 gas cans and thousands of batteries, flashlights, sump pumps, trash bags and more. With a caravan of four large rented trucks, one mini truck and my four-wheel drive, we left for New York with more than $150,000 worth of emergency equipment.”

With equipment and supplies Frank Storch and other volunteers drove up to New York and distributed he essential supplies, truckloads of clothing, thousands of cans of gasoline, and the life-saving generators. The tragedy of Hurricane Sandy brought out the best in many citizens, with the help of Frank Storch.

The Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy: Baltimore Responded with Frank Storch

In a recent edition of the on-line edition of Jewish Action Frank Storch told the story of how he and several other volunteers from Baltimore brought truckloads of emergency equipment to the victims of Hurricane Sandy in New York City.

“I was in Israel when I heard about the hurricane. I changed my ticket so I could return earlier and help out.
A member of Hatzalah called, saying he was interested in taking some generators from Baltimore to New York. Instead of bringing just a few generators, I thought, Let’s make a large purchase of generators, gas cans, flashlights, batteries, lanterns—everything the communities would need. 

Home Depot in Baltimore was suspicious of the fact that we wanted to purchase hundreds of generators; they assumed we would be bringing them to New York to resell. I told them to speak with the attorney general of Maryland who knows me personally and could vouch for me. They contacted the attorney general and realized we had truly come to do a good deed. We ended up bringing 120 generators, 250 gas cans and thousands of batteries, flashlights, sump pumps, trash bags and more. With a caravan of four large rented trucks, one mini truck and my four-wheel drive, we left for New York with more than $150,000 worth of emergency equipment.”

Frank Storch in Yellow Jacket with Volunteers Helping Out During Hurricane Sandy

Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund Lending a Hand

As the winds died down and the residents began to assess the damage inflicted on them by Hurricane Sandy, Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund of Baltimore was there to help in any way it could.

“From Baltimore came truckloads of emergency paraphernalia, including large generators, sent by the city’s Chesed Fund and other Baltimore Jewish organizations.”

For more information about the recovery effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, see “When Can We Go Home?”

Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund Brings Carnival to Far Rockaway

With the support of Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund, families were able to take a break from the pressure and anxiety caused by Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Funding from the Chesed Fund centered in Baltimore, and volunteers from girls’ schools in Baltimore came together to create what was called the “Welcome Home Carnival” to celebrate the ongoing recovery from the ravages of the devastating superstorm.

Rabbi of the Young Israel of Bayswater and Wavecrest in Far Rockaway, Eliezer Feuer, thanked Frank Storch for his efforts to help the people of his community.

“On behalf of my community of Bayswater and Far Rockaway, I want to thank Frank Storch and his family and the Baltimore Jewish community for caring about us and reaching out to us in New York. This is a great opportunity for our community to have a fresh start,” Rabbi Feuer said.

On hand and provided by the Chesed Fund were clowns, jugglers, magicians, face painters and more, to help relieve the children and their families from some of their stress at a very difficult time in their lives. Girls from Bais Yaakov and Bnos Yisroel filled buses to be there to help, as did also the staff of the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, all to assist with the carnival.

Join in the Effort to Help Sandy’s Victims

Frank Storch is calling on the community and individuals to continue to aid those adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy only two months ago. Fearing that because Sandy and her victims are no longer headline news, Storch is reminding people that there is much to be done in the wake of the estimated $100 billion worth of damage inflicted upon the East Coast at the end of October.

Storch is advocating the “Make a Difference” initiative which encourages communities to come together to bring aid to the people most in need after the “Superstorm” left homes, community centers, synagogues and more damaged, in some cases, beyond repair.

 Here are some of the ways “Make a Difference” is motivating people to participate in this great effort to help:

• Enlist the aid of professionals, including those who are retired, who can act as coordinators who will make contact with the communities hardest hit by the hurricane and find out precisely what help they need. 

• Check out the possibility of helping people and families who so desire to relocate; finding them jobs, schools, housing and tuition assistance. 

• Start an “Adopt a Family” and/or an “Adopt a Shul” program whereby a synagogue partners with communities in the areas hardest hit to help them get through the challenges of the coming months. 

Now that we are in the middle of the winter it is crucial that communities remember those still in need after the “Storm of the Century” left so many people devastated with almost nowhere else to turn for assistance.

Frank Storch Works to Assist Hurricane Victims

Baltimore Jews have been working endlessly to provide Hurricane Sandy victims with the support they so desperately need.

According to the Jewish Times:

“The day after the storm on Oct. 31, efforts began. Frank Storch, founder and operator of the Chesed Fund, called Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler to help him arrange for the purchase of $135,000 worth of emergency supplies, including generators, 250 gas cans, 50 sump pumps, 1,000 lanterns and thousands of batteries from Home Depot.”

“The items were brought to New York just one day following the storm,” Storch said, “and sold to residents at the true and fair price- often at cost. Some paid with checks and IOUs, as trust triumphed avarice."