Atlantic City Blitz

Atlantic City brings to mind sandy beaches, high-rise casinos, and ?vacation paradise?. The Atlantic City Expressway whisks holiday-goers straight into the heart of expensive shopping and dining.

The reality for many of the residents of Atlantic City is anything but a holiday. Many residents struggled before Sandy arrived; later they found themselves in dire situations after the storm flooded their neighborhoods.

Hope Force International (HFI) set up offices in the city soon after the storm. Economically suppressed, and somewhat wary of help offered by unfamiliar faces, the people there were initially slow to accept assistance and some didn?t even know help existed.

In an attempt to overcome the hesitation and to establish greater rapport with those in need, HFI, together with city and church leaders, organized a ?blitz? of the city?s most affected areas. Hope Force worked with the local Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to pinpoint neighborhoods devastated by the massive flooding.

Hope Force Reservist Ken Saunders and Chaplain Chuck Duby organized nearly 200 residents of Atlantic City to go door-to-door in affected neighborhoods. Volunteers canvassed the areas, advertising grant services and other forms of assistance to storm survivors.

By the end of the blitz, a number of homes needing assistance had been identified.

While Atlantic City continues to rebuild its tourism industry in preparation for the summer holidays, HFI continues to help the city?s residents rebuild and recover.

For more information on how you can get involved in Atlantic City?s recovery, click here.