i keep a diary

November 16, 2012

Occupy Sandy with Voltaic Systems

Whenever I have time off from work, I'm always interested in shooting interesting events or people. Through Clayton Cubitt, I heard that Jeff, one of the founders of Voltaic Systems needed someone to help deliver more solar chargers to folks without power in the Rockaways.

Here's a link to the Voltaic blog post. And down below are some of the other pics I took of the damage and the lovely people helping with the recovery.

Friday, November 16th

Jeff had previously made trips to the Rockaways to donate solar kits. After seeing how many people were still without power, he came up with a "Buy One Give One". It was a hit! Here we are loading up one of the many boxes of chargers donated.
box ˆ solar
On our way.
driving ˆ rockaway beach
A few weeks after the storm...
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
...and the Rockaways were still in bad shape.
driving ˆ hurricane sandy
Buildings falling apart.
buildings ˆ hurricane sandy
Watching Jeff spring in to action to give a solar charger to anyone in need was inspiring.
Other people had rigged all sorts of solar charging devices.
Anywhere there was signage to charge...
...there were people who needed charging.
Jeff demonstrating how Voltaic's solar charger works.
best ˆ hurricane sandy
Veggie Island!
rockaway beach
The closer we drove to the beach...
...the move evidence we saw of flooding.
hurricane sandy ˆ truck
In addition to stopping at a bunch of centers, Jeff had addresses of specific people that needed chargers that couldn't leave their home.
window
So great to see someone who developed a product teach a person who needs it how it works! Works as a phone charger...
hand ˆ occupy sandy ˆ phone ˆ solar
jeff voltaic
..can power this LED light.
occupy sandy ˆ solar ˆ jeff voltaic
Jeff unboxed the panel...
box ˆ solar
...and installed it out the window for her.
solar ˆ window
Driving the sand-covered streets.
driving ˆ hurricane sandy
We parked to take a look at the beach and boardwalk...
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
...and then realized the entire boardwalk was gone.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
Far-as-the-eye-can-see gone. This wasn't a little boardwalk, either. It was 52 blocks long!
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
Sections of destroyed boardwalk stacked.
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
South near the waterline. Hard to get a sense of where you are without the boardwalk around as a reference.
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
Oh, Beach 113 Street. That's very helpful.
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ sign
Carting sand back to the beach one wheelbarrow at a time.
best ˆ boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ sign
The entire boardwalk was washed away except where the light pole is screwed in. Similarly...
beach ˆ boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ sign
...this section of destroyed boardwalk still contained a working payphone.
best ˆ boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ payphone ˆ rockaway beach ˆ strangers
These guys were using calling cards to get in touch with relatives overseas.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ payphone ˆ rockaway beach ˆ strangers
We walked in from the beach, hopped back in the car.
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
The over to another Sandy Relief that had been set up.
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
Clean-up volunteers discussing where to head next.
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
jeff voltaic
Jeff dropping off more chargers and giving more demos.
jeff voltaic
Another Voltaic charger already up on the way.
occupy sandy ˆ sign ˆ solar
jeff voltaic
Jeff on the move again in his solar-charging backpack!
backpack ˆ occupy sandy ˆ jeff voltaic
You are not alone.
car ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
We headed over to another big...
flag ˆ house ˆ rockaway beach
...volunteer center.
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
So cool to document how volunteers emergently cooperate and organize things. Sand tools.
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
This house was a hive of volunteer activity. A constant stream of people, adding and removing food to the pantry...
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
...diapers and TP...
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
...perishable foods.
hurricane sandy ˆ occupy sandy
jeff voltaic
Helping Jeff unload more chargers.
occupy sandy ˆ jeff voltaic
jeff voltaic
Stockpiled them upstairs.
occupy sandy ˆ jeff voltaic
jeff voltaic
The one second he stopped helping to pose for a photo! ;)
occupy sandy ˆ jeff voltaic
Unpacking a box...
occupy sandy ˆ solar
betsy p
...and giving another installation demonstration.
occupy sandy ˆ solar ˆ betsy p
betsy p
To Betsy who I ended up meeting again a few months later because she also knows Lauren. Small world, New York.
solar ˆ betsy p
Installed and charging phones in minutes.
solar ˆ window
A view of the installed panel from outside the house.
occupy sandy ˆ solar ˆ window
Jeff went off to make a few more stops, and I went off on my own to walk over to the neighborhood where Meredith and I had lived back in the summer of 2011.
What's left of the skate park.
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
#3 GO ROMNEY. OR NO USA
boardwalk ˆ graffiti ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
The cement supports are the only thing left. The boardwalk was all washed away here.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
In the midst of the all the chaos, nice to see people still surfing.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ surf
Strong onshore.
beach ˆ ocean ˆ rockaway beach ˆ surf
Painting on the boardwalk.
boardwalk ˆ rockaway beach
Where the boardwalk ends.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
Boardwalk emoticon : /
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy
These big trucks were all over the place hauling sand.
beach ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ surf ˆ truck
Better luck next cove.
beach ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ surf
Shifted and opened like a zipper.
boardwalk ˆ hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach
Walked back over to...
hurricane sandy ˆ rockaway beach ˆ truck
...the post office to meet with Jeff.
rockaway beach
I downloaded the pics as soon as I got home and put together some edits. (Which is a big deal. Usually, it takes me around three years to post the photos I take online!). Thanks again to Jeff for having me along!
driving ˆ rockaway beach