2020_06_Blues_Final_Reduced

Out of the ICU and
Into the Driveway
Dr. Anish Samuel wasn’t taking any
chances. With a 2-year-old son and a very
pregnant wife at home, Samuel, an ICU
doctor specializing in pulmonary care at
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in
Paterson, knew extreme precautions were
needed to protect his family from the coronavirus.
Samuel was working on the front
lines against the disease; even the most intense
daily cleansing routine wasn’t enough.
There was only one thing to be done: He had
to move out.
Luckily, Samuel heard about a Facebook
group called RVs for MDs. After completing
an application, he connected with an RV
owner in West Orange, who took his camper
out of storage and hauled it to Samuel’s
driveway in Nutley.
Shortly after Samuel moved into the RV,
his wife, Jessica, a nurse anesthetist, gave
birth to a baby girl. Now her parents are
staying with her to help care for the infant. ✤
PHOTOGRAPHS: (DR. SAMUEL) LAURA BAER;
(MASK MAKING) COURTESY OF ELIN DELGHIACCIO
VOORHEES //
Empty Shelter Pivots to
Providing Pet Food
Like most things in the era of coronavirus, it’s
anything but business as usual at the oldest and
largest no-kill animal shelter in South Jersey.
The Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees
has been nearly emptied, with most animals
placed in foster care for the duration of the state
lockdown. Adoptions, intake and veterinary
services have been curtailed. A long-awaited
construction project is on hold, staff has been furloughed,
and the organization’s largest fundraiser—a
5K walkathon—was moved online.
But food-pantry programs for pets have
tripled in response to community need, says Maya
Richmond, executive director at AWA. “Our
whole world has had to pivot and change,” she
says. “We’re looking for ways to take the pain out
of people’s financial losses.”
AWA partnered with two local churches
and the Voorhees Police Department to deliver
donated pet food and supplies to home-bound
people and pets. The shelter continues to operate
its Chow Stops program, delivering those items to
needy pet owners in Camden.—PA
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP //
Making Face Shields at Warp Speed
What started as a small project by
the robotics and computer clubs
at Warren Hills Regional High
School quickly snowballed into a
community-wide volunteer effort
that produced more than 15,000
face shields.
Junior Bobby Delghiaccio got the
ball rolling when he borrowed the
school’s 3D printer to make anchoring
clasps for surgical masks. The
concept worked, but it was too slow, he says. Club advisor Daryl Detrick
then found a simple pattern for clear plastic face shield, and snagged the
sought-after components on the Internet, “just a few days ahead of the
curve.”
The club gave kits of clear plastic, foam strips, double-sided tape and
tie clasps to 200 area families. Within 48 hours, those families assembled
15,000 shields in kitchens and dining rooms throughout Warren County.
With similar speed, a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $40,000.
Students at Mt. Olive High School got involved as well.
The shields were distributed to hospitals, nursing homes and EMT
workers throughout the region.
The project taught an important lesson. “I’ve learned our community
is awesome,” says Delghiaccio.“In not a lot of time, we were able to accomplish
an amazing amount.”—Kathleen O’Brien
JUNE 2020 NEW JERSEY MONTHLY 59