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The band Kings Country gifted us a virtual fundraiser concert last weekend. Illustration thanks to Michael Arthur, a neighbor and professional illustrator of live performances.
May 8, 2020
Greetings!


If you have lost loved ones, and/or colleagues or are battling coronavirus yourself, my heart goes out to you. I know these struggles.

I hope a kinder, fairer world emerges in the wake of this pandemic. Let's start that by leading with kindness now. Make kindness the filter for all your decisions. People need it, and it helps healing and fosters dialogue.

Below, is some PortSide good news - and the urgent call for your support to help us get historic engine parts for our ship - plus links to virtual programs, COVID19 aid resources, and how you can help bridge the digital divide in Red Hook by donating extra technology you may have around.

As always, thanks for your support! Please read on below.


Best,
Carolina Salguero 
Founder & Executive Director

Good news that needs your help!
Help bring the MARY A. WHALEN's engine back to life!
Summit Academy students visit the MARY's engine room
Carolina and a pack of engineers have been working on an exciting opportunity that needs your support fast. In a powerplant in Kennett , Missouri - scheduled to be demolished in TWO WEEKS - is a 1941 engine that we can have at the cost of scrap. That 26 ton engine can restore the 1938 Fairbanks Morse engine in our MARY A. WHALEN .

Over 14 years, we followed every tip, scouring the country, looking for engine parts. In December, we learned that the engine would be available sometime in 2020 after Kennett awarded an RFP to demolish the powerplant. The pandemic has complicating everything, and we’ve been re-jiggering plans the past 6 weeks with the costs rising.

We need to raise $15,000 to cover costs that include lifting it out, trucking it here, capping apertures, and storage here. The NYC EDC asked us to pay rent to store the engine in the Pier 11 shed until we can get it into the ship. Please join supporters who have donated over $5,600.

Please see and share our fundraising video at www.bit.ly/engineformary

Here are several easy ways to donate.

  • Facebook fundraiser
  • Via credit cardVenmo
  • If you prefer checks, please email us the amount and date you're mailing it. Send checks for PortSide NewYork to 190 Pioneer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231. 
  • Turn your Amazon shopping into fundraising. Use Amazon Smile (select "PortSide NewYork" to gift us a share of your purchase cost). 

Virtual fundraisers: 
Enjoy two Facebook Live fundraising concerts below donated by the band Kings Country. Social distancing was practiced during these virtual TankerTime events that include short ship tours by Carolina and views of the harbor, waterfowl and passing ferries. Please donate and/or share the concert links.


Check our Facebook page for future virtual fundraising events.
Get some big sky time when you join Carolina live streaming the sunsets at 7:30pm (c) Danielle Cyr
Virtual Programs for youth and adults during COVID19 era

Visit our virtual museum Red Hook Water Stories

Explore a growing collection on our blog of virtual programs from around the world selected by our Historian & Curator Peter Rothenberg. He takes suggestions via email.

Get diverse content from our Facebook page. Enjoy sunsets there that are live-streamed every day at 7:30pm.
Help bridge Red Hook's digital divide
Got used tablets, laptops, PCs you don’t need? Can you provide IT support to people newly on-line? 

Please donate devices to enable students to connect to virtual classrooms. Students still lack tech. Adults also need tech since many vital aspects of life have moved on-line (banking, info on where aid is located, connecting socially).

If you can donate hardware or provide IT support, please reply to this newsletter. We are in touch with schools and are working with others to create a Red Hook digital aid pipeline, among our other mutual aid endeavors.
Red Hook COVID19 aid

All of the following is in one place on Red Hook WaterStories and will be updated . If you have an addition or correction, please send us an email .

Community Board 6
Daily newsletter Sign up by texting BKCB6 to 22828 or click

Facebook group
Red Hook Curb Facebook group 1,880+ members sharing info & things

Red Hook Biz Alliance
Weekly Wed 10am Zoom call - contact them for log in

Red Hook Hub

Red Hook Mutual Aid to add info, send an email

Red Hook Relief
Their goal is filling gaps in the mesh of services and resources and acting as a clearinghouse for requests for aid from individuals who are on the other side of the digital divide. Their p hone support service at (646) 484-9677 launches Monday 5/11/20 with speakers of English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic and can handle up to 30 calls a day. Please volunteer if you have the time so they can handle more calls a day. Their volunteers are teachers, librarians, and students, and their schedules accommodate sustaining this phone support throughout the summer; and they are positioning this as a long-term service to Red Hook. They have mapped aid which is very helpful. To get involved Email them or call (646) 484-9677.
Google map of free food - a Google map

Zoom meetings for Red Hook planners
To show you how some of the above stitches together, here are some of the main collectives incorporating endeavors above. There is overlap. People are often in multiple groups, as are we.
  • Tuesdays 8:00-9:00am Ready Red Hook call
  • Wednesdays 10:00-11:00am Red Hook Biz Alliance
  • Fridays 11:00am-12:30pm Red Hook nonprofits and schools

Chiclet misses the PS 676 1st grade too and is sleeping with their toys.

Staying in Touch

Missed our last newsletter? Visit the  archive .


Our liveliest social media portal is Facebook page  Mary A. Whalen  due to how long we developed a community there. We are also on Twitter and Instagram .
PortSide NewYork is a living lab for better urban waterways. 

We connect New Yorkers to the benefits of their waterfront, and advocate for better uses of the waterfront and waterways. 

We bring the community ashore and community afloat closer together for the benefit of all. We bring WaterStories to life!
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