Politics & Government
Flood Victims Find Hot Meals and Help at Wayne PAL Center
The Wayne PAL has provided meals for up to 600 families one night recently.
As the cleanup from Hurricane Irene continues around town, volunteers are still working to get food to persons in need. The Wayne PAL building, off Parish Road, has become a “hub” for coordinating volunteers and getting meals out.
Laura O’Connell, who served as food coordinator with her husband Glenn, said the volunteers have a great deal of work to do, but each are meeting the needs and the demands. “It is amazing how the faith based communities of Wayne have been working together,” said O’Connell. She said she personally worked with local churches like Preakness Reformed Church and Packanack Community Church along with the town’s two synagogues.
Bill Schadel and Todd Behnken are two volunteers that worked with O’Connell and both men have seen differences in fluctuations in the needs of the people.
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“When we first started we had 250 people come in for food,” said Behnken. “Then the next night we had 300 then 400 people.”
Schadel said that the previous nights 600 people came in for food and the following night 400 came in for food, so the volunteers are working to cook as much food as possible, packing and distributing where needed.
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Because of this, O’Connell said the volunteers are still seeking more donations, especially for salads, cardboard boxes and bottles of water. “We have three packages now and they will be gone tomorrow,” said O’Connell. Donations of fresh food will be accepted at the PAL Building between the hours of 4pm and 6pm.
In a recent Wayne VOAD update, it was announced that hot meals will be served at the PAL building every night through Friday Sept. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Also at the PAL Center, laptops were set up to help people apply for aid from FEMA. According to volunteer Kathy Russo, people need to have their social security number, address and insurance information along with a bank account number should the residents want the money direct deposited.
For Russo, she said she is happy to assist. “I wanted to help in any way I could,” said Russo. “I was delivering food and when I saw this on the VOAD website, I volunteered.”
