Mercy Housing Out-of-State Hurricane Sandy Relief Workers

With the post-Hurricane Sandy nor’easter bearing down on Long Island on Nov. 7, an out-of-state tree-trimming crew in need of housing found a warm welcome — not to mention comfortable sleeping quarters, hot meals and showers — at Mercy Medical Center.

The team from Storm Services, LLC, was brought to Long Island by National Grid to clear trees from power lines to facilitate restoration of electricity knocked out by Sandy.

When the two dozen workers from Texas, Colorado and Florida contacted Mercy about the need for shelter from the gathering nor’easter, they said, "The hospital just said to come on down and rolled out the red carpet for us."

Mercy’s Environmental Services Department quickly and efficiently set up dormitory space near the hospital’s Emergency Department.

It was the second time Mercy’s environmental services team was called to action to set up temporary shelter during the ongoing weather emergency. In advance of the hurricane, the hospital took in 40 patients evacuated from Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip and 25 patients evacuated from a nursing home in Long Beach.

Good Samaritan’s patients were returned to that facility shortly after Sandy passed, but Mercy has continued to provide housing for the nursing home patients more than a week after the storm.