Donation Drop Off. Part 1.

By Laura Leary

Having to watch my home state, New Jersey, and my second home state, New York, get pummeled by Hurricane Sandy made me feel completely helpless. I knew that things were not what people had expected when images started showing up on my Television screen in my apartment back in Los Angeles. I was left with anxiety and sadness knowing there was nothing that I nor anyone could do until the storm was over....

My main concern was my loved ones and their safety. I have a lot of family and friends that still reside on the Jersey Shore (not Seaside Heights) and New York City. Seeing these places under water and some parts left with unimaginable destruction was not easy.

I continued to watch the coverage in disbelief of the people who we're left homeless and hopeless. It broke my heart seeing homes literally ripped in half, burned down to absolutely nothing or washed away at sea. Homes filled with memories and items that could never be replaced. I don't know of loss like this but it's something that I can't even apprehend the idea of such a terrible situation. After talking to family members and hearing stories of the devastation left behind I knew I wanted to help...

At one of our meetings, I randomly had a thought of a donation drive. I was going back to Jersey in a week and thought that I could hand deliver items we may be able to collect here in Los Angeles. After a quick agreement to do so, Carla, Nina and myself brainstormed a little and immediately got on our social media contacts and just wrote a little blurb about having people donate items such as warm coats, hats, gloves, jeans etc.... Little did we know what an unbelievable response we would get. After only two days we had collected countless amounts of jeans, socks, coats, shirts and the list goes on. A bit overwhelming but we were all so excited and impressed to see people going out of their way, not only making the trip but to go through their belongings to give to someone who is in desperate need. The response was amazing and we cannot thank the generous people who came from all parts of Southern California enough!

The next step was the packing and shipping. This is the part that left me overwhelmed the most. Where was this all going to go!? I wasn't sure how roughly 400 pounds of clothing was going to fit in a reasonable amount of boxes and the cost was a whole another issue. Luckily my friends are cool, calm and collective and we finished it all in an afternoon after many trips to the Fed Ex store and with a lot of help from kind strangers. Off to my mothers house in New Jersey it went! (Thanks mom!)

TO BE CONTINUED...Click HERE to go to our Donation Drop Off Facebook page!