Saturday, May 18 2013 11:32 PM EDT2013-05-19 03:32:29 GMT
VENTNOR -- V.F.W. Post 3361 has stood the test of time since it was built in 1950, but after it flooded with 30 inches of water from Hurricane Sandy, it was forced to shut its doors -- until Saturday. Dozens
VENTNOR -- V.F.W. Post 3361 has stood the test of time since it was built in 1950, but after it flooded with 30 inches of water from Hurricane Sandy, it was forced to shut its doors -- until Saturday. Dozens
Saturday, May 18 2013 11:32 PM EDT2013-05-19 03:32:12 GMT
ATLANTIC CITY -- There's always an eclectic crowd at the Boneyard, but this weekend the diversity takes on a special meaning as musicians from all walks of life come togather to raise money for autism
ATLANTIC CITY -- There's always an eclectic crowd at the Boneyard, but this weekend the diversity takes on a special meaning as musicians from all walks of life come togather to raise money for autism
OCEAN CITY -
As people affected most by Hurricane Sandy try to rebuild, communities
throughout the area are banding together to help their neighbors.
What is normally a firehouse in Villas became a distribution center for donations for Hurricane Sandy victims.
Trucks
were loaded with boxes filled with supplies, ranging from clothing and
food to $2,500 in donations, and delivered to several area shelters
including the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, which received nearly a
dozen truck–loads today.
Event organizer Erica Young says what began as a simple idea on the Internet quickly gained popularity.
"One
of us just put on Facebook questioning if we could get volunteers and
if we could transport stuff up north and everyone was just overwhelming
with selflessness and wanting to help," said Young.
An American Legion post in Somers Point was also the site of a Facebook idea come to life.
All afternoon, people could drop off clothing, food, water and other essential items. Several pick–up trucks were loaded as residents continued to pile up donations.
Organizer Kara Vietro said she knew that the community had to come together.
"It
is really overwhelming, it really is. To sit back and really think
about, nothing happened to my house personally but I know how many
people are struggling right now and it just doesn't seem right to sit
around and not do anything," said Vietro.
Many of the items donated in Somers Point made their way to a large staging area at Ocean City Tabernacle Church.
Here
Ocean City Tabernacle and nearby Coastal Christian Church, along with
110 volunteers, teamed up to receive, organize and distribute supplies.
Many items were made available for pick–up by Ocean City residents in need, while some donations were delivered to shelters.
Organizers,
like Pastor Sal Ippolito of Coastal Christian, say that volunteers that
were not impacted by the storm felt a need to help fellow members of
the community.
"Obviously Ocean City hasn't been hit as hard as
some other places but I almost get the sense that they almost feel like
because they haven't been hit as hard, its easier for them to give and
say hey we can help," said Ippolito.
At Ocean City Tabernacle, and other locations in the area, residents are joining together to help the people that need it most.
