Three Volunteers Organize Huge Food Drive

VILLAS – Local residents opened their hearts and wallets Nov. 3 producing an amazing display of generosity for victims of Hurricane Sandy residing outside Cape May County.
Three friends: Erica Young, Heather Grey and Deanna Wareham organized a donation drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy that grew to momentous proportions.
Young posted a message on Facebook asking if people would be willing to donate their unused storm preparation items that would be transported north of Cape May County if she could find a drop off location.
“We got an overwhelming response from people just wanting to help,” said Young.
Villas Volunteer Fire Company donated their fire hall as a drop off location.
Initial donations went to Shore Fellowship Church in Egg Harbor Township which was housing 350 storm victims. The church had a great need for food, said Young.
The food drive started at noon at Villas Fire Hall and by 1 p.m., enough items had been donated to fill a tractor trailer. Young said the amount of donations were above and beyond what was requested by the church.
“We still had abundance,” she said. “We had people that came to drop off a bag of canned goods and they ended up staying and helping.”
An estimated additional eight tons of items were sent to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. A U-Haul truck, donated by Anco Ace Hardware of Villas, was being loaded two days later on Nov. 5.
Volunteers holding food drives in Delaware were preparing to send truckloads of items across the bay on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry for the cause, said Young.
“We never expected it to be as big as it was,” she said.
Donors dropped off furniture including couches, TV’s, portable heaters, tool boxes, baby items, clothing, cleaning supplies, paper products , food, water and Halloween candy for children.
Young said the fact Cape May County was spared the worst of the storm brought out the generosity in so many.
“I think we all realize it could have been us…” she said.
A woman called Young from Philadelphia to tell her all her neighbors on her block were coming to Villas to volunteer and bring donations.
Lower Township used its reverse 9-1-1 phone system Nov. 2 to call each township resident to inform them of the drop off location at the Villas Fire Hall.
A Safe Keeping donated a storage unit for three months for future donations. Westside Distributors of Rio Grande provided a tractor trailer.
Local pizzerias donated more than 40 pizzas to feed volunteers. Wawa sent over coffee.
“The plan now is to go to Seaside and Long Beach Island, anything further north,” said Young.
Heather Grey said many Facebook friends reposted her message to help storm victims and she received phone calls from as far away as Annapolis, Md. and Wilmington, Del.
The public began dropping off items as early as 10 a.m. Nov. 3. The final truck left for Atlantic City at 6 p.m. The three women returned Nov. 4 to sort items that were filling an entire bay of the fire house.
“I don’t think we’ve touched the tip of the iceberg of what can be done,” said Grey. “We plan on continuing as long as the donations are coming in.”
Grey can be reached at (609) 972-4330.
Erica Young, Heather Grey and Deanna Wareham