(article, Culinate staff)
As Christina Eng noted on Culinate last summer, New Orleans eateries re-opened as soon as possible in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Because you gotta eat, and restaurants know how to get food to the people. Eater recently reported that NYC restaurants are doing the same after Hurricane Sandy trashed the city last week, cooking up meals and serving them for free. Major nonprofits such as Feeding America are also organizing food-relief efforts. If you're not locally based in the NYC area, the American Red Cross (despite criticism of its efforts) is taking donations to help provide shelter and food to Sandy survivors. So are AmeriCares and Save the Children. Local food banks are always taking donations as well, including the Food Bank of New York and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. As for the canceled New York City Marathon, more than 1,000 runners ran anyway — dropping off donations around Staten Island and then helping to clean up the post-storm mess.