The Milford Review - Milford LIVE!

The Year InReview The Year InReview The Year InReview The Year InReviewMultiple Milfordians Assist Sandy VictimsBy Bryan Shupe, November 17, 2012As the Hurricane Sandy relief effort continues forNew York and New Jersey, residents of Milford continueto send donations of money, supplies and timeto help their neighboring states to the North. Justdodging the devastating storm themselves, local residentsthat are helping areas that were impacted bySandy are constantly reminded how lucky they wereto miss the destruction of the October storm.Mechele and her daughter Danielle Kalaygianalong with J.J. and Teri Carter and Amanda Kilbymade a trip to New York on Sunday, November 10to assist with the larger relief effort being held at theNew York Container Terminal. Living in New Yorkuntil the age of 21, Michele knew that she needed tohelp her friends and family still living in New York.After hearing a women on a national news broadcastasking for assistance one week after the storm hit,she knew it was time to take action. Putting the callout through social media Michele decided to takedonations from the local community to make a tripto New York.“Within minutes I had people contacting me thatI didn’t even know in order to make a donation,”commented Michele. “Businesses, individuals andthe students at the Milford School District all madedonations for us to take up to New York.”With the U-Haul trailer loaded with clothing,food and supplies the group made the four and ahalf hour drive to help sort donations that werecoming in from across the country. While there theyprepared boxes of supplies that were picked up bylocal churches and organizations to be distributed tothose affected by the storm.A day later Karen Messick of Milford and her familydecided to drive to New York to drop off theircollected donations to a sorting facility in BroadChannel. When they arrived they were asked to droptheir supplies in a pile that was placed behind the facility.According to Karen the donations were piledhigh and were beginning to show signs of weatheringfrom the elements. Not wanting her collectionsto sit in what seemed to be a forgotten pile, Karendecided to take the supplies directly to the people onthe street.“The streets were full of vehicles filled with waterand debris was pilled everywhere, words cannotdescribe the devastation,” commented Karen. “Atthe collection centers we were told that people whoneeded the supplies would come get them but I keptthinking how can they pick up supplies without vehicles.We just pulled our truck over on the side ofthe road and started handing things out the back.”On Saturday, November 17 Joan Greeley and SuzannahMartin Frederick helped organized a bus tripfor 27 individuals to support any services needed byhomeowners on Buel Street in Staten Island. Whilethere volunteers helped repair several houses fromthe wind and water damage Hurricane Sandy left behind.With skilled contractors on hand, the grouphelped remove debris from houses, performed demolitionservices and repaired appliances such as hotwater heaters.Continued on next page