Mary Pat Christie, wife of New Jersey governor Chris Christie, put her job on hold when she started the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. Since that time, the Fund has collected over $32 million which will be used to support long-term recovery rather than short-term relief. The Fund has been careful about having a proper vetting process in order to ensure that money is used wisely, effectively and efficiently. But, as a result of this prudent approach to recovery, Christie is being lambasted for not doling out the funds more quickly.

We support Ms. Christie’s approach and encourage other charity organizations to follow the lead of the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund. At Aid Still Required, we have worked to shift the paradigm of disaster relief from a sole focus on immediate relief to a more long term, sustainable concept of recovery. We know that in every instance, there are communities that are “forgotten” in the years after a disaster–they do not receive the help they need and the funds run out before their needs are addressed. When these forgotten communities emerge in New Jersey, as we know they will, the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund will have the funds to help and Ms. Christie will be seen as a smart, forward thinking leader.