Patch, AOL Send Hurricane Sandy Relief Trucks to Long Is., NJ

It's been said it's far better to have a neighbor who's near, than a brother who's far away. But in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, people across America have proven to be the best neighbors and the strongest of families.

This past weekend, AOL and Patch employees took an opportunity to pitch in, packing two tractor trailers worth of food, water and supplies in Dulles, VA and Baltimore. The donations are headed to Sandy-ravaged areas in New Jersey and Long Island.

Want to join the relief efforts? Click here to donate.

"When a catastrophe of this size hits, we all feel it, both the hundreds of us who live in the impacted towns, and our colleagues who are watching and wishing they could help more," said Patch Chief Content Officer Rachel Fishman Feddersen. "So for us AOLers and Patchers, it feels like a relief and a privilege to get to help out in such a big, immediate way."

The AOL trucks will arrive in New Jersey on Monday and Long Island the next day. The deliveries will include many of the essentials residents most need, such as bottled water, blankets, batteries, canned soup, disposable diapers and baby formula.

The trucks are rolling as residents in areas such as the Jersey Shore, Staten Island and Long Island are still coping with the aftermath of the hurricane. Hundreds of thousands remain without power, the area transit systems are crippled, and gas lines can go on for miles. (Motorists are trying to fill their cars and residents are trying to fill gas cans in order to keep generators humming in near-freezing temperatures.)

Please join us in the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief efforts.