As you may know, our restaurant was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Our basement was completely submerged by the flood waters, and we got about a foot of water in the dining room. We lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and inventory, and we’ve been closed since the storm. Even now, most of our neighbors are still without power. Our insurance company isn’t giving us one thin dime, and all the government offers are diaster loans. So we’re taking it to you, our friends: please help us rebuild!

Here’s the deal: For a limited time, we’re selling our new, beautiful gift certificates (designed by ex-Fortie Jen Storch) on our website at TWICE their value. You give us $20, we send you $10 in gift certificates. You send us $1000, we send you $500 in gift certificates. Got it? Junk bonds-not worth what you pay for them! It’s a terrible deal for you, but we really need the money! They would make a great holiday gift for the cocktail lover in your life. Each gift certificate is decorated with an illustration of a cocktail luminary from the past (or present) by a Brooklyn-based comic book artist. The back of each bill shows the water of New York Harbor, that harsh mistress that paid us an calamitous visit two weeks ago.

I’m also on the advisory board of ReStore Red Hook, a nonprofit raising funds to help the small businesses of Red Hook. Please visit that website to see what we’re doing to help, or to make a tax-deductible donation. 

We would really appreciate your support in our hour of need. Please forward this email to all of your sympathetic friends and allies, recommend it on Facebook, tweet it, blog about it, etc. 

Here are the particulars:

http://fortdefiancebrooklyn.com

Twitter: @fortdefiance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fort.defiance.3

Thank you so much for your help, and I hope to see you soon at Fort Defiance!

Yours, St. John Frizell, Fort Defiance

Summer is FINALLY here!  PortSide has been preparing for it. Please join us—the crowdrise campaign for Summer Youth Employment is in full force and a few intern positions are still available. Get on board! 

Restoration News   

In case you missed our BIG NEWS from May, the Mary A. Whalen was determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. This is very exciting because eligibility increases funding opportunities and visibility for the ship, for PortSide and for Red Hook

This summer PortSide can employ five youth from Brooklyn public housing to complete the restoration of the Captain’s cabin through NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Below, see how to help us offer this program or go straight to the fundraiser page here. To learn more about the restoration work click here.

Join the effort! Spread the word! Help fund the TeenTeam!  

Last week, we launched a campaign on crowdrise to raise the $16,000 needed to offer this opportunity. In the first two days before the holiday weekend, we raised $1,115. Thank you, donors!

We are off to a great start, but there’s still $14,885 to be raised by June 30. You can help! Please give what you can and use crowdrise to ask others to give. 

In September, we will invite donors on board for a party and private preview of the summer’s completed restoration work.

On crowdrise you can earn points for dollars you give—and dollars you raise—redeemable for prizes donated by sponsors. You can also set up a Project Team and run your own parallel campaign in support of our effort. 

To support this project or to monitor our progress toward achieving our goal click here.   

Internships Available for Summer 2011

Summer Intern positions available working on history and preservation research, cultural tourism, event planning and graphic and web design.

Please send a resume, your availability and a note about your interest to research.portsidenewyork@gmail.com