DALLAS – Jan. 29, 2013 – Associa Cares, the philanthropic arm of Associa assisted more than 48 families affected by the devastation of Superstorm Sandy.
The superstorm, with estimated damages of more than $71 billion, left an estimated 380,000 homeowners throughout the Mid-Atlantic coast without electricity; with significant wind and water damage; and many flooded.
Associa Cares provides assistance individuals and families in need after a disaster, regardless of whether they live in an Associa managed community.
Below are recipients of Hurricane Sandy relief funds:
MAMCO Property Management – Mount Laurel, N.J.
Fourteen homeowners lost everything in the storm, including the five members of the Logue family, located in Ocean City, N.J. Paul Firetto’s nearby home was destroyed. Eugene DiStefano was displaced for weeks from his home in the same area.
Six members of the Ludwig family lost all of their belongings. The family lives in the Brick Area of New Jersey, and consists of Lauri; her daughter Kristen and son-in-law Danny; her daughter Katelyn and her one-year-old grandson Mason. Flooding waters filled the downstairs, and eventually rose to the second floor. The home is uninhabitable and needs reconstruction; the family is currently housed in different locations.
Wade Donaway’s family will be displaced for at least three months from their home near Long Beach Island, N.J. Four feet of water damaged the Hann home in the same area. Carolyn O’Brien-Busko was left homeless after her home was destroyed; her closest family is in Washington state.
Peter Cicione’s Sea Isle City, N.J. home had five feet of sand inside. Donna Vitale’s ice cream shop in the same area was destroyed by water; she had built the business over 12 years.
Jessica Houck is a single mother of three kids in Rockaway, N.Y. Her first floor apartment flooded, and her job lost power, leaving her without a job or a way to stay warm in the winter months. Joseph and Dorothy D’aleo lost their nearby home and were looking for items washed away for weeks after the storm.
Four trees crushed the Konopka home in Bucks County, Pa. and destroyed it.
Valerie Yaisti’s entire bottom floor in her Seaside Heights, N.J. home was destroyed; the assistance helped her while she waited on FEMA to assess her claim. Tim Lavin lost his home, too.
Irene Carney’s Mystic Island, N.J. house was destroyed; she found it two streets over. Geraldine Hampton’s home was destroyed nearby. The Bianchini family evacuated with only the clothes on their back. The Pascavitch family’s home had water damage and lost most personal belongings; Pete was on disability and Amy was laid off.
An island where the Smith family’s house was located disappeared during the storm.
Brandy Kean thought her Ventnor City, N.J. home would be a partial loss, until FEMA inspected and found it uninhabitable. It was her first home, and recently purchased.
Pete Vitale lost part of his Atlantic City, N.J. home; he’s still not able to live in it. Jodi Haiduc lost her nearby home, as well. Debra Perez’s home was lost, and FEMA wasn’t able to help her.
Community Management Corporation – Chantilly, Va.
Three members of the Diaz family lost everything in their Staten Island, N.Y. home after the first floor flooded. The water continued up to the second floor bedrooms. After spending the night stranded on the second floor without phone signals, the water eventually receded enough for them to swim for help.
Mid-Atlantic Management Corporation – Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
Four trees damaged homes; the home of Charlene Woods, a Mid-Atlantic employee, was damaged by a fallen tree caused by the storm. The force from the tree damaged the electrical system which left a hole in her son’s bedroom wall, and also completely totaled her car. A tree fell on the home of Meg Kitchin, Mid-Atlantic’s Regional Director, leaving it uninhabitable. A Norway spruce fell on Marilyn Kelly’s home, damaging one side.
An elderly couple, Richard and Michelle Gambone, lost everything in their Manahawkin, N.J. home.
Associa Headquarters
Five feet of floor water damaged the Kissane family home in Hamilton Beach, N.Y.
The four members of the Ale family were displaced and lost all belongings.
Dale Burns lost most of his personal items because of dirt and water that flooded his Jamaica, N.Y. apartment.
Four feet of sewage and water filled Kijana Noel’s Brooklyn, N.Y. apartment.
“Hurricane Sandy was a devastating force of nature,” said Joey Carona, president of Associa Cares. “We feel for each of the families and individuals affected by its powerful devastation, and hope we can expedite their return to their normal lives.”
Associa Cares is a national nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization created to assist families and communities in crisis as a result of natural and man-made disasters. Through donations provided at fundraising events across the country, Associa Cares is able to provide necessary goods and services to the families affected by these types of tragedies. If you know of a family who has been the victim of a natural or man-made disaster, go directly to www.associacares.com to submit a request.
Building successful communities for more than 30 years, Associa is North America’s largest community association management firm and serves its clients with local knowledge, national resources and comprehensive expertise. Based in Dallas, Associa and its 8,000 employees operate more than 150 branch offices in the United States, Mexico and Canada. To learn more about Associa and its charitable organization, Associa Cares, go to www.associaonline.com and www.associacares.com. Find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest, and watch us on YouTube.
