House in a Box to assist hurricane victims; open house set for March 27
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
When Superstorm Sandy tore through the East Coast in October, 2012, thousands of families suffered severe property damage with many losing everything, including their homes and all its contents.
In an effort to help people rebuild their homes, the diocesan Society of St. Vincent de Paul is opening a “House in a Box” distribution center in a warehouse located at 1414 South Roller Rd., Ocean Township, where items such as furniture, linens, bedding, utensils and other items needed to furnish a house are made available namely for families without insurance and those who will have difficulty replacing everything they lost. The society has scheduled an open house at the warehouse site for March 27 from noon to 3 p.m.
Joe Williams, diocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society president, explained that House in a Box is part of a national program that has supported families after devastating natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the Texas wildfires, the Oklahoma tornadoes, the Colorado floods and the West Texas plant explosion. In the diocese, House in a Box is a collaborative effort between the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and the American Red Cross which provided funding for the effort.
Williams said the idea to introduce House in the Box initiative was based on the many people whose homes had sustained damaged or were destroyed as a result of the hurricane especially in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The warehouse in Ocean, which is accessible to families from both counties, is about 4,000 square feet and large enough “to store 150 mattresses and box springs; 100 sets of table and chairs; 150 chests of drawers and 100 sofas,” he said.
To date, the warehouse will be staffed by an army of some 85 volunteers, including members of St. Vincent de Paul Society conferences from around the diocese as well as college and high school students who might be in need of community service hours, Williams said, then noted that anyone who wishes to help out can learn more by visiting www.volunteersignup.org/bxtrt where information on scheduling dates and times are available.
To reach the House in a Box distribution center in Ocean, call 732-493-4745 or email: [email protected].
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When Superstorm Sandy tore through the East Coast in October, 2012, thousands of families suffered severe property damage with many losing everything, including their homes and all its contents.
In an effort to help people rebuild their homes, the diocesan Society of St. Vincent de Paul is opening a “House in a Box” distribution center in a warehouse located at 1414 South Roller Rd., Ocean Township, where items such as furniture, linens, bedding, utensils and other items needed to furnish a house are made available namely for families without insurance and those who will have difficulty replacing everything they lost. The society has scheduled an open house at the warehouse site for March 27 from noon to 3 p.m.
Joe Williams, diocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society president, explained that House in a Box is part of a national program that has supported families after devastating natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the Texas wildfires, the Oklahoma tornadoes, the Colorado floods and the West Texas plant explosion. In the diocese, House in a Box is a collaborative effort between the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and the American Red Cross which provided funding for the effort.
Williams said the idea to introduce House in the Box initiative was based on the many people whose homes had sustained damaged or were destroyed as a result of the hurricane especially in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The warehouse in Ocean, which is accessible to families from both counties, is about 4,000 square feet and large enough “to store 150 mattresses and box springs; 100 sets of table and chairs; 150 chests of drawers and 100 sofas,” he said.
To date, the warehouse will be staffed by an army of some 85 volunteers, including members of St. Vincent de Paul Society conferences from around the diocese as well as college and high school students who might be in need of community service hours, Williams said, then noted that anyone who wishes to help out can learn more by visiting www.volunteersignup.org/bxtrt where information on scheduling dates and times are available.
To reach the House in a Box distribution center in Ocean, call 732-493-4745 or email: [email protected].
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