The completion of a NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan is an important step toward rebuilding a more resilient community. Designed and driven by local communities, the plans account for specific needs, opportunities and strategies of cities, towns and villages throughout the State. Each locality is eligible for between $3 million and $25 million of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, as it implements new and innovative strategies that aim to establish a stronger and better future. NOTE: The NY Rising Community Reconstruction plans referenced on these pages are comprehensive planning documents created by and for the affected communities. For this reason, the documents describe projects that were discussed; however, not all of these were selected by the community as priorities to be funded.
Co-Chair. Jim Donovan is a lifelong Gerritsen Beach resident who’s pulled many resources into the Gerritsen Beach community beginning immediately after the storm. Jim facilitated collaborations between nonprofit organizations working in Gerritsen Beach, such as Rebuilding Together NYC & NY Cares to help streamline services and efforts. Additionally, given his background in construction, Jim and his brother William have been protecting Gerritsen Beach homeowners from contractor fraud and providing direct home repairs to those in need.
Co-Chair. Doreen Garson is a real estate agent, past president of the Brooklyn Real Estate Association and the Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Fire Chief who stepped up immediately after the storm to keep the volunteer fire house together and pulled all resources into the Vollie's Hall for residents. Up until just about two months ago, they were still feeding residents lunch and dinner out of the hall. A longtime resident of Gerritsen Beach, she’s very well respected in both Gerritsen Beach, Sheepshead Bay and beyond. She helped get the Sheepshead Bay CERT team up and running and continues to provide guidance to other community volunteers.
