Updates from Buffalo, NY After the Blizzard of the Century
Well…that was a holiday season to remember. For those who don’t know, we are located in Buffalo, NY and over Christmas we had a historic and tragically disastrous blizzard here that trapped all of us inside our homes for almost a week, and unfortunately, took dozens of lives and left so many others without homes for the foreseeable future.
We were unbelievably lucky to not lose power or heat during the storm, we had plenty of food on hand and the kids had a great Christmas stuck in the house with mommy and daddy for days on end. But being stuck inside with things that could have helped so many others who were freezing, hungry and in desperate need of help was really tough. It is a type of survivor’s guilt that I haven’t experienced in such a way before.
While the snow has pretty much all melted and many people have gotten back to “normal” (whatever that means), there are still so many people who really need help. Having thousands of homes without power and heat with such record-breaking cold temperatures caused the pipes to freeze and burst in hundreds of homes, destroying the walls, floors and everything in between. There were also dozens of house fires that were unable to be put out during the blizzard because emergency vehicles were simply unable to drive down the streets to get there. Many of these affected families are on the East side of Buffalo in the same neighborhood where ten Black people were horrifically murdered by a white supremacist in the only supermarket in the area. Our city has been through so much and the hits just keep coming.
In the wake of this tragedy, where there are few resources available, there are dozens of GoFundMe campaigns circulating to help people affected by the blizzard to raise money to bury their lost loved ones, to find new homes or rebuild the ones that have been damaged, and to find some sense of normalcy again, but they are not gaining enough visibility because there are so many of them.
At Papercraft Miracles, we aim to do as much good in the world as we can and to always put people above profit. We are pledging to donate 15% of our profits from all sales this winter to families in need in the area and to local organizations that are providing much needed assistance and resources to our community. We will be making direct monetary donations to Feed Buffalo–a local community-run halal food pantry that has been providing food deliveries, support and assistance to those in need.
I know that the holidays are over, inflation is going crazy and so many people out there are also struggling, but for any of you who are able, I encourage you to make a purchase to help this cause or to make a donation directly to Feed Buffalo. https://www.feedbuffalo.org/
Keep an eye on our Instagram stories (http://www.instagram.com/papercraftmiracles) to see direct links to GoFundMe campaigns for local families in need as well as other ways you can help Buffalo to rebuild.
Keep looking up, y’all. Buffalo truly is the City of Good Neighbors. Let’s come together to make a big difference to those in need.