We are deeply appreciative for their assistance.” During the last two years, my office has worked closely with the Red Cross on all aspects of the relief and recovery effort. “As we approach the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we are all grateful to the Red Cross for their assistance in helping people throughout the 8th congressional district rebuild their lives and repair the neighborhoods decimated by the storm. Bradner, Co-Chair, State Long-Term Recovery and Director, Connecticut Insurance Department Thank you for the Red Cross’s support of the state’s Long Term Recovery team and for lending its staff’s talent and expertise to this effort." They have been instrumental in our Individual Assistance working group’s efforts to assist families affected by Superstorm Sandy and in developing a model that will help the state move quickly to support families should we ever be hit by another disaster. "I wanted to personally express my gratitude for the expertise and effort the state of Connecticut has received from Red Cross leadership staff. O'Brien, Executive Director, HomeFront, Inc. The ultimate yardstick is that our community is the better for our partnership as are we.” This ethic of interconnectedness is just one of the many reasons why the Red Cross makes responses to overwhelming disasters seem possible. A balance of thoughtfulness and efficiency informs every aspect of the Red Cross process, encouraging an exchange of ideas and findings every step of the way. For an organization with such vast institutional wisdom, the Red Cross remains a “learning organization” in the best sense of the phrase. We experience the person-to-person connection when collaborating with the Red Cross. This persistence has enabled us to complete massive restoration projects for 30 low-income Connecticut families victimized by the storm. The human faces of those still awaiting recovery continues to motivate each and every member of the Red Cross staff. Beyond the immediate response, the plight of individuals devastated by SuperStorm Sandy faded from the headlines. What becomes crystal clear while working with each and every member of the Red Cross team, however, is how powerfully the personal dimension comes through their work. “We entered into our partnership with the American Red Cross fully aware of the organization’s sweeping impact, worldwide over many decades. Operation Hope of Fairfield (Fairfield LTRG) - $150,000.NECHAMA-Jewish Response to Disaster - $250,000.United Way of Coastal Fairfield County - $258,000.Brethren Disaster Ministries - $280,000.Center for NYC Neighborhoods - $550,000.Margert Community Corporation - $700,000.The Health and Welfare Council of Long Island - $797,000.New York Disaster Interfaith Services - $996,000.Community Development Corporation of Long Island, LLC - $1 million.Southern Baptist Disaster Relief - $1.35 million.Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - $1.396 million.Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation - $1.732 million.Habitat for Humanity International - $2.344 million.Local Initiatives Support Corporation - $8.471 million.The RREM Gap Funding Initiative - $10.1 million.The Disability Opportunity Fund - $118,000.Ironbound Community Corporation - $175,000.Essex County Long-Term Recovery Group - $200,000.Community Affairs and Resource Center - $225,000.Union County Long-Term Recovery Group - $236,000.Jewish Community Center of Rockaway Peninsula - $239,000.NorthWalke Housing Corporation (formerly Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund Norwalk, Conn.) -$255,000.Puerto Rican Action Committee of Southern New Jersey - $327,000.Cape May County Long-Term Recovery Group - $338,000.Volunteer Center of Bergen County - $400,000.Puerto Rican Association for Human Development - $446,000.Hudson County Long-Term Recovery Committee - $490,000.National Baptist Convention USA - $506,000.Atlantic County Long-Term Recovery Group - $586,000.Atlantic City Long-Term Recovery Group - $586,000.Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey - $600,000.New York Legal Assistance Group - $700,000.Middlesex County Long-Term Recovery Group - $782,000.Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group - $1.1 million.Catholic Charities Community Services - $1.397 million.NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development - $1.632 million.Greater New Jersey United Methodist Church - $1.75 million.Ocean County Long-Term Recovery Group - $1.85 million.Lutheran Disaster Response - $2.265 million.The Health & Welfare Council of Long Island - $2.323 million.United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) - $2.5 million.New York Disaster Interfaith Services - $4.672 million.