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M-SO Message Board » Mostly Maplewood: Related to Local Govt. » Archive through September 15, 2005 » Help NO and areas « Previous Next »

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mwsilva
Citizen
Username: Mwsilva

Post Number: 463
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, September 2, 2005 - 11:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why do we as a town not start building tent cities on the Township lawns, the parks, the school yards and cause busses of folks from the storm area to move here?

We can be a place for them to move to after the Asto dome, once fed, and stable on meds.

We can then feed them, school them and help them back to their homes after the govenment is able to rebuild the basics needed to live.

Why don't we do it?
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SO Refugee
Citizen
Username: So_refugee

Post Number: 957
Registered: 2-2005


Posted on Friday, September 2, 2005 - 11:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Contact Information (available online) for our Two Towns
South Orange
John Gross, Village Administrator/CFO - jgross@southorange.org
Trustee DeVaris may be reached at 973-378-8531
No other trustee numbers listed.

Maplewood
Fred R. Profeta, Jr., Mayor
Phone: 973-762-0905
Email: frp713@aol.com

Ian R. Grodman, Vice Mayor
Phone: 973-313-2424
Email: igrodman@grodmanlawoffices.com

David R. Huemer
Phone: 973-763-7793 (24 hour number)
Email: drh23@columbia.edu

Kathleen M. Leventhal
Phone: 973-378-9897
Email: KLeventhal@aol.com

Ken A. Pettis
Email: kap07040@yahoo.com
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Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal

Post Number: 6230
Registered: 5-2001
Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 5:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mwsilva:

We are already starting to help out on a small scale. At least one family in our community is bringing three young relatives from one of the hardest hit portions of LA to stay in their home and attend our schools.

The National Guard in New Jersey is presently collecting bottled water (through September 5th) which they will be transporting to the gulf (of Mexico)area.

Individuals and corporations in our community have already made financial contributions to organized relief efforts.

Two MOLers, Art Gautenlaub and Duncan Rogers are planning a fund raiser for the hurricane victims for later this month.

People in our community are doing what they can.

Short term, I'm not sure that moving large numbers of the homeless from LA to SO/M would be a very good idea, especially since we haven't done a very good job of finding permanent housing for our own homeless, who currently travel from temporary shelter to temporary shelter. We would need to show that we as a community are capable of providing the long term housing, social and health services, jobs, and other support that these people so despirately need right now before carrying out the kind of program you suggest.

What could work is to start a program whereby people in our community could volunteer to sponsor individuals and families in need of help by bringing them into the sponsor's own home, as the above mentioned family is doing.

Would you be willing to participate in such a program by sponsoring one or more of the LA homeless?


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Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk

Post Number: 9278
Registered: 5-2001
Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 5:23 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't think living through a New York winter in tents would help very much. Howmakever, I think churches should consider an effort to house some of the refugees, at least temporarily. I know in the past Morrow and Sorrows have housed homeless people from Newark.
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc

Post Number: 4026
Registered: 9-2001


Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 8:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

“Why don't we do it?”

Bob, I agree no one would want to live up here in tents, and I've been a part of those church programs over the years, and we can do that and more. Why not take them into our homes?

This raises an interesting thought and brings home the realization of what it would be like to be homeless, and what housing people in our homes would be like for any of us...

But for the grace of God, there goes me!

I have the rooms, and I’m willing to take in a family, or several individuals to help out. Will anyone join with me?

I think you have a great idea Mwsilva, and I would be happy to work with you and anyone else to coordinate this effort for our town. Can you imagine if a few million other families throughout America who would be willing to do the same? Every homeless person from the Gulf Coast states would have a chance for a fresh start.

If anyone else agrees, we can bring the possibility this to the next township committee meeting to see how we all can work as a community to try an make your suggestion a reality... it’s another great way for us all to do our part.
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Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal

Post Number: 6235
Registered: 5-2001
Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 12:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Art:

This subject is already under discussion here on MOL. Check out the Can We Offer Our Homes Thread in Please Help for organizations which are already working to provide this service.

Of particular interest are the comments that at least one organization is only placing Gulf homeless in hotels because of the problem involved in doing background checks on those offering such housing; and that emphasis is being placed on finding homes within a 300 mile radius of the disaster area if possible.

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Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal

Post Number: 6237
Registered: 5-2001
Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 1:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Maplewood family Tom Kerns refers to in a related post in please help is unlikely to be the only family taking relatives from the hurricane ravaged area into their homes here in SO/M (In this case three school aged children). I learned of another such family this morning (my neighbor's elderly mother was evacuated from NO) and there are likely to be quite a few more.

It might be helpful for our two towns to come up with a coordinated plan for easing these displaced persons into our community.
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc

Post Number: 4031
Registered: 9-2001


Posted on Saturday, September 3, 2005 - 7:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thank you Joan, I didn't know about the other thread. Please let me know if I can help; I have plenty of room.

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