If there were something else like this in the U.S., would you expand Waves For Water’s mission to help in other parts of the country?
Yeah, definitely. In a sense, with the Sandy project, I basically started a new organization. I always had worked disasters with our Clean Water project, and I was involved in all the things I’m doing here in Sandy in those other countries. But our primary goal and reason for being there was generally around the water component. This was sort of stepping out a bit. I know what the steps are, and it feels worth it because I have dear, close friends along this coastline that lost their businesses and homes. I felt like I was in a position to be able to help them. And then it’s evolved to what it is now, so to answer that question, yes, I think there will be a sort of comprehensive disaster relief arm of what we do, always.
With all these moving parts, how difficult has it been trying to manage everything?
It’s been hard, but the two things for me have been to only focus on what’s in front of me, right now. And usually, what’s in front of me today means, “what’s your priority for that day”. Your priority is generally dictated by money. So if I have the funds to go do this rebuild project, and it’s all set up, then my focus goes on that, 100%. Then the other moving parts can idle for a day or two, and then you focus on that, and you don’t try and do a million things in one day or one hour or one week. You prioritize and sort of compartmentalize. The other big component of being able to manage it is having good people with you. I don’t have a lot of people, but the people that I have brought on have been really good.
How’s it been personally? Has this taken a big toll on you?
It’s been an amazing project. I don’t feel like it’s taken a toll on me. There are times where I’m tired, but it’s work, you know? I really approach this work as work, because it is. The same way that if you were a plumber, you would go clock in and you would have time constraints, you would have budget constraints and you have to work within that, and you have an objective and you get it done. I approach this work the same way, and I’m not a volunteer. I’m not a tourist. I’m working. It’s my job, and I love my job.
When you came here you said you were gonna be here for about a year, and we’re about six months in now. What do you see for the next six months?
More of the same. In the next six months, I’m getting back to my day job, which is all the other projects we have abroad. So I’m going to be based in New York. I have good people here fulltime, and then I’ll be traveling from here. So I’ll still be here, and I think that we’ll stay here as long as we have the support to do so. I think Waves For Water will always have some sort of a presence in New York from now on, regardless of Sandy.
So another surfer in the lineup.
Yeah. Watch out.
KIND Healthy Snacks is partnering up with Waves for Water to help Retired Dumont, NJ firefighter, John Gelalia rebuild his home. John was a New Jersey Firefighter who saved countless lives and homes after Hurricane Sandy. His home, thankfully, was sustained, but everything in it was destroyed–his furniture, all of his belongings, flooring, electricity; everything. John was living in FEMA house shelters up until March without anywhere else to go. He returned to his completely gutted house where he has been living since. KIND will be partnering with Waves for Water to complete a $10,000 renovation on John’s home. While $10,000 will help, KIND and Waves for Water are looking to the community to help further their initiative through one of the following steps:
Donate directly to Waves for Water to help further fund this project.
