Katrina (local help efforts)

[Editor]

Latest story:  North Jersey stands by, ready to pitch in

The state Office of Emergency Management sent notices to county OEM offices and local police officials urging first responders and other personnel not to leave for Gulf Coast states until they were officially mobilized by the state.

The state OEM has approved the effort, and firefighters from Clifton, Englewood, Hackensack and Teaneck have expressed interest in going to the devastated area.

FEMA will reimburse municipalities who send firefighters, so local taxpayers will be minimally affected by their absence.

Hackensack's acting chief, Joe Thornton, said that career firefighter have lots of training that will be useful in hurricane-torn region, such as handling structural collapses, first aid and hazardous materials.

"Our personnel are highly trained, so it would help spell the resources down there that have been going since the hurricane hit," Thornton said.

Update: The Mayor and Council approved the sending of  two Hackensack Firefighters to the Gulf Region.

[Editor]

Latest story:  Volunteers flock to Red Cross

[Editor]

Latest story: Churchgoers search for faith while fearing for loved ones

Congregants at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack prayed for hurricane victims Sunday. Many members of the congregation have relatives in the hardest-hit areas.

[Editor]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Day for the Hurricane Katrina Victims Fund

Bogota, NJ – September 5, 2005 – We are please to announce the cooperation between Residential Computer Consultants, the Bogota, NJ Chamber of Commerce and the Bogota Board of Education for the “Community Day for the Hurricane Katrina Victims Fund”.

This one day event; will be held on Saturday September 10, 2005 from 3 PM until 10 PM at Feigel Field in Bogota, NJ and will feature numerous family activities; including Moonwalks, a Dunk Tank and Carnival Games; just to name a few activities.

“All of the monies raised will benefit the American Red Cross Organization, in their goal to help the victims that were affected as a result of Hurricane Katrina in the Southern United States“, stated Scott Mills of Residential Computer Consultants. “The American Red Cross Organization have worked effortlessly since the beginning of this tragedy to provide people with as much hope in the human factor; by way of providing clothing, water and food; as well as other items that we tend to take for granted every day, but now mean so much to these people This is our way of trying to help these people through this horrible situation as much as possible. We are hoping to contribute considerably to the help that is needed.”

Some of Northern New Jersey’s best talent will be providing Live Music as well; including the local band (ShiraGirl), (www.shiragirl.com) who recently toured all over the United States on the “Van’s Warped Tour”, as well as the Bogota High School Band; and other surprises.

”We will also have 50-50’s, food, and wristbands available for purchase”, stated Ed Sweeney; President of the Bogota, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “We will be presenting our free “Movies Under the Stars Series” in where we will be showing the movie “Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” to all people in attendance. We are proud to take on an endeavor of this magnitude, and call on all residents of not only Bogota, but all residents of Bergen County, New Jersey to participate in this event in order to raise as much money as humanly possible.”

You may download the flyer at: www.bogotachamber.org or www.rccnj.com

[Editor]

Latest stories:

If you want to help, contribute money

About 30 non-profit leaders gathered at the First Presbyterian Church in Hackensack to find the most effective way they can help with Katrina relief. The answer was the same: money.

Hackensack Fire Department goes to Gulf (from official City site)

Nurse recounts 'depressing' ordeal in flooded hospital 

Urgently pressing themselves into service

[Editor]

Latest story:  New Orleans evacuees find help in N.J.

The evacuees include Darrell Walker, a 48-year-old maintenance man and musician who arrived at the Red Cross office in Hackensack on Friday with only a small, tan duffel bag holding some clothes and shoes. He's desperate for work, money and a decent night's sleep, and hopes his two beloved trombones - if he ever finds them - haven't rusted beyond repair in the toxic stew of floodwaters.
...
"I need a job, and I'll do anything,'' Walker said softly as he sat, in a bit of a daze, near a table laden with canned goods. He's looking for permanent shelter, too; there's not enough room at his sister's house in Bergenfield, because she's housing their traumatized elderly parents, who evacuated as well. The Red Cross gave Walker a voucher for two weeks at the Best Western Oritani Hotel, and a volunteer helped him find an instrument to play.

[Editor]

Latest story:  Little by little, New Jerseyans help Katrina's displaced

The Rev. Greg Jackson of Hackensack's Mount Olive Baptist Church and president of the Bergen Council of Churches has 5,000 pairs of sturdy boots donated for survivors in Texas. In a few days he'll be going to Lake Charles, La., to work on a joint relief effort with other clerics.

[Editor]

Latest story: Displaced students need empathy

Maywood has become home to two New Orleans families so far. Three children who arrived last week are attending Maywood Avenue School and Hackensack High School.

[Editor]

Latest story:  Storm victims welcome in N.J.

Mental health professionals say it's too soon to expect evacuees to fully grasp how profoundly their lives have changed. Some seem frozen in the belief they might soon resume life as it was. One man who came to the Hackensack Red Cross with his 13-year-old grandson told volunteers he had no plans to enroll the boy in eighth grade here. He figured New Orleans schools would reopen soon and he could study workbooks until then.