'07 Nor’easter Leaves A Crisis in its Wake

When the Passaic, Hackensack and Ramapo Rivers crested earlier this week, they brought over 6 feet of floodwater to the communities in our area. Homes and commercial buildings suffered considerable damage from the floodwaters of the rivers, as well as from the overflow of many creeks. The extent of the damage from all of this will not be known for some time. Presbytery of the Palisades churches meaningfully affected by the rain and/or floodwaters include PC of Teaneck, Iglesia Nueva – Jersey City, Bethany PC-Englewood, Elmwood Park PC Nursery School and West Side PC-Ridgewood.

The Katrina Response Team, which has been supporting the flood and hurricane victims in New Orleans, is organizing a Nor’easter Flood Response for our area. At this point, we have the limited information to share. We will provide updates to this initial e-mail as more information about this crisis and how our congregations can help becomes available.

Passaic County:

CUMAC ECHO* is coordinating church, FEMA, Red Cross, and United Way efforts.

*Center of United Methodist Aid to the Community, Ecumenically Concerned Helping Others - www.cumacecho.org.

Immediate needs:
Non-perishable food items, and seasonally appropriate clothing, bed linens and towels:**

Specific food items requested:

† Parmalat (shelf stable) boxed milk

† peanut butter

† beans

† tuna fish

Clothing contributions are most appreciated when they are separated by gender & age (women’s, men’s, girls, boys).

† General clothing items may be new or used;

† Underwear is really needed, but must be NEW.

Bed linens and towels do not need to be brand new.

** Please collect these items and them bring in boxes or large bags to Don Brown (North Haledon), Beverly Dempsey (WS –Ridgewood), or Richard Hong (1st Englewood) who will deliver things en masse to CUMAC ECHO.

People: Work teams are being coordinated.

† The first unskilled work team might be needed as early as Monday afternoon at the St. Philip’s United Methodist Church on North 1st Street. (This will be coordinated independently from CUMAC ECHO. Please call Beverly Dempsey (201.652.1966 x18) for more details.)

Money: CUMAC already feeds between 2,500 and 3,000 families per month. The Nor’easter complicates their already significant meal program. Funds collected will ensure no interruption to their services.

Longer term needs:

Furniture, appliances and other household items: These will be held in various collection points and delivered when more permanent living arrangements are found for displaced people. We will identify drop off points and communicate those to you as soon as possible.

Bergen County:

Janet Janet Sharma, Executive Director Volunteer Center of Bergen County 64 Passaic Street Hackensack, NJ 07601. Phone: 201-489-9454 Fax: 201-489-1995. www.bergenvolunteers.org ; jsharma@bergenvolunteers.org;

Immediate needs:
Red Cross Volunteers: Contact Joan Kroitsch, Volunteer Director, 201-652-3210.

Damage assessment:
† People who know the area will accompany Red Cross volunteers. 

Couriers between Red Cross facilities:

† If volunteer does not have a Red Cross Driver Abstract check on file, the volunteer will need to use
his or her own car.

Receptionist at The Red Cross Building in Hackensack, 340 Union Avenue:

† 2 people in the AM & 2 in the afternoon.

† Answer calls and give information. Training provided.

Thank you for your care and support of this crisis at hand,
Don Brown, Beverly Dempsey, Richard Hong, Michael Carrier, Craig Rule and Tom Pinnel
Nor’easter ’07 and Katrina Response Team