I'm sure the students will love the quilts. As far as hurricane Sandy victims go, one of the best ways to donate is to go through a church group. We sent money to a church in TN that maintains a disaster relief center. As of Nov 24 they have sent and distributed 20 semi truck loads of supplies: food, water, personal items, blankets, clothes, furniture, new appliances, etc., including 3 truckloads of bleach! A truckload generally runs about $90,000.
http://disasterreliefeffort.org/?p=329