When Hurricane Sandy ravaged Staten Island, Binghamton University student Taryn Ramos was lucky enough to escape with her house largely undamaged — however, only a block away from her stepmom’s house on the South Shore of Tottenville, a collapsed roof killed a 12-year-old girl and her father.

“Closer to the water is where you saw the bad damage, not just trees down,” said Ramos, a junior majoring in psychology. “There were boats in people’s houses … there were houses where the foundation just gave out.”

Flooding destroyed the first floor of Ramos’ second home, but she considers the damage insignificant compared to the trail of devastation Sandy left across Staten Island and the rest of the Burroughs.

“Seeing the actual damage made it more real, rather than just hearing about it,” Ramos said. “Seeing the look on people’s faces as they were staring at their destroyed homes, and seeing people crying … it made you feel terrible because nobody was doing anything.”

When she found out about the student-led relief effort at University Plaza (UP), Ramos jumped aboard.

Dana Borrero, a junior double-majoring in economics and political science, and Nick Agostino, a senior majoring psychology, began the drive, “Giving Back from Far Away,” on Oct. 30, the day after Sandy struck New York, to collect supplies to send home.

“My mom actually called me … and she told me how bad [Sandy] was, and one of my really close friends from home told me how devastating it was,” Borrero said. “I just thought it was time to give back to the neighborhood where we grew up.”

Borrero said that the UP office was supportive of the drive and opened up the leasing office as a donation drop-off location.

“Michelle, who runs the leasing office — she’s been a huge help in calling the businesses and getting them to donate,” Borrero said.

Borrero and Agostino solicited donations from local restaurants, including B.L.G.G. Deli, Dunkin’ Donuts, Panera, Nirchi’s, Mario’s Pizza, T.G.I. Friday’s, Applebee’s and Starbucks.

“We just started rapid-calling local businesses,” Borrero said.

Uno Chicago Grill agreed to hold a week-long fundraiser Nov.9 through Nov. 17, during which the restaurant will donate 20 percent of patrons’ bills to the relief effort, upon the patron’s request.

Borrero and Agostino said the most needed supplies are garbage bags, blankets, towels, coats, gloves, masks, cleaning supplies, bottled water, food and baby supplies. Borrero estimated that the drive has already collected more than $7,000 in supplies.

“The least necessary right now are clothes, they’re actually shying away from clothes,” Agostino said.

Five other students helped Borrero and Agostino by calling businesses and organizing bake sales to raise money. The group also set up a We Pay account online to accept donations. Borrero said the group has raised roughly $500 in monetary donations.

Borrero said she hopes more students will get involved in helping the fund.

“We haven’t seen enough students trying to help their hometowns,” Borrero said. “It’s disheartening that more people don’t care.”

She said that the group plans to fundraise as long as possible.

“We’ll keep taking donations as long as people are going to give them,” Borrero said.

Agostino said that the extent of the damage on Staten Island following Sandy came as a shock to him.

“I never really thought it could happen to Staten Island,” Agostino said. “It’s definitely upsetting because we can’t get there to help … it’s definitely hard to look at.”

Borrero said one of the biggest challenges she faces now is finding a way to transport the donations to Staten Island.

“Some of our shipping costs are being covered by UPS, but nothing close to what we need,” Borrero said. “My dad and uncle are driving up with their trucks this weekend, but if anyone else knows someone who can sponsor shipping or a U-Haul, as big a request as that is, it would be great.”

Ramos dropped off the first carload of donations Sunday.

“I met my dad at the Crossings Mall in Pennsylvania, we switched cars, and he took the truckfull to the FEMA drop-off place,” she said.

She said she is proud of the way Staten Island residents have taken matters into their own hands in organizing disaster relief.

“I’m very proud of my community for coming together, and I’m even more proud of my friends and classmates Dana and Nick for putting in so much effort,” Ramos said. “I think it’s amazing to see people give back to the community that they grew up in.”

She said the attitude of Staten Islanders played a role in residents’ success in helping their community.

“I think that it’s kind of ironic that the Staten Island pride in our strange culture that we get made fun of for is the same pride that’s gotten us through this,” Ramos said. “I think that the public outcry, like on social networking, did make a big difference.”

Donations of supplies are being accepted at UP, BU Undergraduate Admissions, Designing Women and Curl Up and Dye salons in Endicott, Wendy’s in Endicott and at 59 Court St. Downtown.