Bowie may have come through Hurricane Sandy with little impact, but the same cannot be said for many communities to our north, especially in New York and New Jersey, that have suffered destruction and devastating losses.

You can help the victims of the storm by doing the following:

The most immediate way that you can help is by donating money to any of the organizations that are on the ground in the hard hit areas providing shelter, meals, and basic supplies.

The American Red Cross is experiencing a blood shortage because of all the canceled blood drives in the states affected by Sandy.

The City of Bowie sponsors regular blood drives at the locations listed below.  Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule your appointment.

Bowie Senior Center
14900 Excalibur Road
301-809-2300
(the second Saturday of every month)

Bowie Gymnasium
4100 Northview Drive
301-809-2388

The impacted communities are in the very early stages of this disaster. Their long term needs are still being assessed.  You can offer your assistance to one of the many organizations already involved in response and recovery.  These efforts will likely continue for many months to come.

Visit the following websites for more information.

• Corporation for National and Community Service (US government agency):  www.serve.gov
• Citizen Corps: www.citizencorps.gov
• American Red Cross:  www.redcross.org
• National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster: www.nvoad.org
• FEMA Information on Volunteering:
  www.fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibly