Today, you have two powerful opportunities to act from your heart and make a real difference. First, of course, get out and vote. Vote your conscience; vote for the future you wish to co-create. Then, after you leave your polling place, please reach out to our young sisters from the Lower East Side Girls Club devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

The Lower East Side Girls Club has always been dedicated to empowering girls; now we at CODEPINK can help them get their heads above water.

All the girls of the Lower East Side Girls Club and their families have been deeply impacted by the massive storm. After going without electricity for four days, all the food in their refrigerators has spoiled and needs to be replaced. Those living on lower floors also need to replace furniture and clothing and other flood-soaked belongings. The greatest loss these girls face, however, may be the loss of their parents' wages.

The parents of these girls are day workers, nurses aides, deli countermen, and retail clerks. With no subways to get them to work, they face diminished paychecks, which makes recovering from the storm that much more difficult. With less money coming in, just restocking the fridge or paying the cell phone bill can set a family back in disastrous ways.

CODEPINK is proud to be partnering with the Lower East Side Girls Club to give these families “get back on your feet and fill the fridge” mini grants. Every dollar you donate, up to $5000, will be matched. Please donate generously here.

If you are in New York, you can also donate non-perishable food directly at the Girls Club, 56 East 1st Street, between 11am – 6pm through Wednesday. The Parlor Showroom is also hosting a food drive to support the Girls Club this Wednesday and Thursday at 7 Mercer Street (at Howard), 2nd floor in Soho.

Both voting and helping out the girls of the Lower East Side Girls Club are affirmations of hope in the future of our country. Please vote wisely and give generously. Plus spread the word on twitter. Show these girls we believe in them; show them we won't let a storm get in the way of their dreams. And be assured that no matter who wins the election, we at CODEPINK will continue to work toward creating a just and peaceful future for all our children. (Photos above of the LES Girls Club and CODEPINK marching together to end violence on women & rebuild after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, 2008)

Thank you for your voice and your generosity,
Alli, Holly, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae, Sam, and Tighe