While most of us focused on protecting our own homes for the impending storm, staff at OHEL coordinated preparation, crisis and evacuation plans for hundreds of clients in our many residences and apartments – many in flood zones.

Staff worked tirelessly and went above and beyond to ensure the safety and well being of the individuals we service working extra shifts, covering for other staff who could not make it to their shift, walking long distances in pouring rain (without public transport) to get to work, engaging the individuals in in-house activities etc….

Shabbos staff remained in place into Sunday and Monday and helped manage weather-related needs and requirements throughout the weekend. 

Every OHEL residence received safety information and tips and supplies of food and basic necessities to ensure optimal safety, wellbeing, and comfort for residents in the case of power outages and related challenges and disruptions in normal routines, services, and programming. We provided adults living in OHEL supported housing with easy-to-follow safety tips and information, and we coordinated for, and distributed safety information to, OHEL foster families living in affected areas. 

OHEL evacuated and provided shelter for the residents of five residences from flood threatened areas to ensure their safety. All of these residents have multiple to severe developmental disabilities. Evacuation efforts included coordination of medicines, staffing of special needs-related activities and plans, and other safety-related measures.

Clients of OHEL’s Preventive Care Unit, and women and children living in OHEL Domestic Abuse Shelters, were provided with appropriate safety information and supplies, such as batteries and flashlights, and we maintained personal contact to monitor needs and respond to emergencies.

OHEL’s Hewlett Home was safely evacuated as soon as New York City evacuation orders were issued on Friday morning and all residents were safely returned to the Home on Monday morning. Staff worked tirelessly to ensure residents’ safety and all staff responded immediately, despite personal and other professional obligations. On Friday,Hewlett residents were transported to Kutschers Resort in the Catskill region, where they had a wonderful opportunity to relax in new surroundings and were safely cared for throughout the duration of the storm.

Staff at Woodmere, Gateway and Arlington dropped everything and spent the weekend evacuated with the individuals instead of weathering out the storm with their families.  

The residence manager of the OHEL Bais Ezra Gateway residence in Brooklyn, was on vacation with his family but returned immediately to the residence upon announcements of the hurricane threat to spend the weekend with residents in order to ensure their safety. 

The house manager for the Arlington Residence, also cut short his family’s vacation to assist with evacuation of the residents (boys) to Pennsylvania and to secure the Arlington properties. A senior counselor for the Woodmere Residence, spent her day off on Friday successfully preparing the women for mandatory evacuation. 

Woodmere and Arlington Residence Managers dropped everything they were doing Friday morning in their own preparation for the hurricane and arranged for places for the evacuated residents to stay – making it a ‘fun’ vacation’ and not a terrifying experience. They arranged for 24/7 staffing food preparation and distribution and ensured residents’ safety, despite their own personal circumstances, during the storm. 

Fortunately there was no damage, loss of power, or flooding to any of my residences.

Over 80 girls with disabilities and their dedicated staff at Bais Ezra and Camp Kaylie were enjoying an End-of-Summer Week Long Retreat Program up in Wurtsboro. They, too, survived Hurricane Irene.  Despite a blackout, campers enjoyed a fun pillow fight, and slept safe and sound thanks to the Camp’s power generator and a capable staff of counselors. It was a great—and safe—adventure for these happy campers.

These are a few of dozens of examples of the commitment, competence, and professionalism of OHEL’s outstanding staff.

OHEL is proud to serve the community 24/7, and we are prepared to weather any crisis to ensure that our families stay safe. OHEL’s professional staff and trained volunteers work ‘round the clock to care for the men, women, and children of all ages who rely on us every day of the year.

(YWN Desk – NYC)