Nonprofits Step Up Where Government Fails Sandy Victims

On Saturday, May 10, 2014 Pastor Dennis Loncke, founder of Arverne Pilgrim Church in Rockaway, NY lead the way as church congregants, neighbors and community organizations gave B75th Street and Beach Channel Drive a makeover cleaning and planting in tree pits and softening with decorative flower pots bolted into concrete.  

The funding for this resident lead project was awarded by the Citizens Committee for New York City known for their support of community and grassroots groups permitting resident leaders to apply for small community improvement grants regardless of nonprofit status.  

Pastor Loncke and his church have struggled to come back after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the one story church building.  Churches did not qualify for FEMA.  

For more than 10 years Arverne Pilgrim Church has serviced the Arverne community of Rockaway as a place of worship and community after school center.  

Using out-of-pocket funding and with the support of loyal nonprofit organizations, such as Respond and Rebuild and Friends of Rockaway, Pastor Loncke was near fully restoring his church when a reckless driver crashed through the front of the building last Easter Sunday, (2013).  Fortunately, no one was hurt including the driver.  However, it has been an onging battle with the insurance company unwilling to release funds to repair the damage.  

Pastor Loncke's faith and determination helped him move past these enormous hurdles, and church services are currently held out of a newly renovated sanctuary.  Pastor Loncke estimates that by this August, the community center will be ready to begin developing educational programming.

The big question is will such a long standing community based organization, CBO, see the Sandy funding that has been promised?  Currently, Arverne Pilgrim Church and many other CBO's have not seen a dime.