Film Biz Recycling Helps Residents Recover from Hurricane Damage

The morning after Hurricane Irene blew through New York, Jane Borock, Director of Marketing, Development and Outreach at local organization Film Biz Recycling, was on the scene.

"The first thing I did was go over and check out the buildings in the area. Once I realized that we were ok, I asked 'who's not? And how can we help?'"

With its close proximity to the Gowanus Canal, neighborhood residents and businesses experienced high levels of flooding with the weekend's visit from Hurricane-turned-tropical storm Irene.

Luckily, residents and businesses can turn to Film Biz, which takes "media waste" - i.e. props and set materials from all manor of film, commercial and photo shoots in the New York City area - and finds practical uses for the otherwise discarded wares.

We first caught up with founder Eva Radke in - but here is even more reason to love the organization.

The Gowanus warehous charity is offering furniture, lumber, paint and more, retrieved from the sets of high budget Hollywood pictures and independent films alike, for hurricane and flood damage victims.

"If materials are needed, it's yours for pretty much free, without the red tape."

People can call, email or for help.

Residents are also encouraged to contact Film Biz with wish lists - or in the case of disaster recovery, "need lists," to use Borock's terminology - and Film Biz organizers will keep their eye out for those items and contact people directly once the item makes its way into the .

Borock assures people can expect requests to be handled "appropriately and responsibly - we'll get it to where it needs to go."

While Film Biz is always on the look-out for neighbors in need, the organization makes a point of stepping up to the plate in cases where natural disasters or wide spread damage leave the neighborhood in need of help.

"We are always willing, and when we can, keep our eyes open to the needs of people in the community," says Borock, who explains that the core of the organization lies in its relationship with the community. 

"Through our work, we contineu to foster the right for people to own their own businesses. We are helping to preserve a middle class and a working class, in a community that is truly special.

"We keep things in circulation instead of going into the land fill. There is already enough stuff out there to go around" - it's just a matter of finding the right place for it, explains Borock.

"Essentially what we do is salvaging stuff, working through irrelevent materials, making sure it shines," she adds with pride.

What better place, then, than in the homes and businesses of neighbors in need.

"We have a lot of people suffering from flood damages and erosion here. We're here to help where we can."