little falls, nj

It was a beautiful day, the first day of Spring 2010. Clear sky, warm temperatures, the type of day we all wait for in the Northeast, especially after the hard winter we just went through. Unfortunately for river towns across this area, the spring meltdown mixed with the rainy season swells rivers and creeks beyond their capacity, flooding homes and devastating thousands.

This was the case for Little Falls, NJ along the Passaic River. This town isn't new to the flooding experience but with the lack of support from first responding agencies, they were left in a lurch, badly unprepared for cleaning up more than 400 homes that were affected.

I started following this story last week and reached out to Emergency Manager, Fred Patelli. Fred is in charge of 3 communities in NJ, covering 1000 homes. I could tell that Fred had been through this before, he knew what was coming and what he needed to help the residents he watched over. The problem was the lack of supplies that were available. Fred informed me that he ordered 1000 clean-up kits from the Red Cross but they could only confirm 500 and they wouldn't be able to deliver until 3 days after residents were let back into their homes. A delay in clean-up only adds to further problems, when things are wet and can't be removed, mold quickly sets in. Knowing their situation, Each One for US All sparked to action.

The goal was to purchase materials and get them to Little Falls when the residents were allowed to return, that way they could hit the ground running to remove the water and clean up what was left behind. This is a tedious task that's compounded by the overall feeling of loss. Tensions run high but you trudge on because you must. I would have loved to supply these people with everything they needed but I knew that doing something was better than doing nothing. My purchases would be driven by my general fund of donations and hopefully new giving by sharing the story.

I was directed by Emergency Management in Little Falls of their most important needs, 4 necessary items, bleach, gloves, spray bottles and contractor bags. I immediately reached out to suppliers for pricing and availability. Our funds enabled us to derive 100 kits and more importantly the ability to get the supplies to those who needed them by Saturday morning, the day of their return. I secured a van, picked up the materials and drove them out to Little Falls by 10:00AM on the first day of Spring.

The arrival into Little Falls was an eerie reminder of the floods in my hometown of Yardley. Floods of this magnitude are usually from heavy rains days before. It takes time for the water to travel from its sources and wreak its havoc. Every flood I've experienced has been on a beautiful day. Ironic I guess, here's a beautiful day, great that you have it because you're going to have to evacuate your home,,, oh and in a few days you're going to have to drag out your destroyed items and place them on your front lawn for disposal. Disasters, for lack of any better word that says it all,,, suck. Believe me, they do.

On our arrival, we were greeted by a wonderful group of volunteers, boy scout troops and residents from surrounding areas were there to pitch in. They quickly formed an assembly line at the back of our van and emptied it in no time, loading their trailer to deliver the supplies. I joined in for a brief time and then went to view the source of the destruction, the Passaic River.

I must admit that I was more than just a little shocked when I got onto a bridge that led into Little Falls crossing the Passaic. I just left an area where the waters receded and people were cleaning up but looking down the river and along its banks I could see at least 30 homes still underwater. I couldn't believe a week after the flooding began that this was still a factor but there it was right in front of my eyes.


The realization that hit me then made it very clear that these people were far from being back to normal. In fact for all we did, we only really scratched the surface. I am hoping with more awareness we will drive more funding for the people of Little Falls, this is a community that is not even close to being out of the woods and one that could really use a break.

DD

here we go again?

As the threat of the rising Delaware River starts to circulate in the area newspapers it's only a matter of time before some familiar fixtures start to show up in Yardley, PA.Today is Friday, March 12th 2010 and all reports once again show that the combination of packed melting snow and heavy rains will provide Southeastern PA with its share of flooding this weekend through Tuesday of next week. News media vans like the one pictured will surely be showing up over the course of the weekend to provide the story to the world about the river-towns and the pending doom for residents.
Being a resident of this community myself and having gone through 3 floods during 2004 - 2006, I can tell you I'm a little on edge. Every past event has taken on a similar pattern that starts with news vans and ends with tragedy. Today, Yardley is different from 2006. There have been many homes elevated in the low lying areas of the Borough but without a solution to control the river water and especially how it interacts with the Delaware Canal, still leaves hundreds in fear of major losses.
I do realize the importance of telling the stories on the news about the floods but being through this before I know only too well what will be next if the river reaches that stage. And that's an added level of anxiety that we can all do without.I will keep you posted as this unfolds and keep my fingers crossed that we don't get to the next level.

DD

five dollars

Yesterday I was greeted at my PO Box by a little envelope. I was especially taken by this envelope for a few reasons. First, the name on the sweet return address label with the a flower on it was unfamiliar. Secondly, the Bart Simpson stamp. I admit, I'm a sucker for the Simpson's. There's just something about that cartoon family, especially Bart that I feel connected to. I'm smiling just thinking about them and their wonderful, loving dysfunction. Last but not least was the underside of the envelope. The flap was securely closed by moistening the glue in some way but an extra step of adding a two inch strip of scotch tape across the pointy end as to insure added security showed me how important this envelope was to the person who was sending it. I opened the envelope to reveal a check with a donation of five dollars made out to Each One for US All.

Now keep in mind, I never heard of the name on the envelope before, I searched high and low for connections to it but didn't find a thing. I can only imagine who these kind folks are that chose to contribute something to a cause they somehow found out about. Judging from what I have, the envelope and the donation itself, I couldn't help but conjure up an image of who they are. You know when you've heard about someone you never met or talk to someone on the phone without seeing a face? You can't help but imagine what they look like. So in my head is my vision of who they are and more importantly what they chose to do.

No matter what they look like, what they have or where they're from is really irrelevant to me. For me, it's the act of caring that inspires. To take the time to write a check, address an envelope and pop it in the mail for the benefit of someone less fortunate shows that these folks have wisdom. The wisdom to know that no matter what your situation is or what you are living without, there's always someone somewhere in worse shape than you.

It's funny, a year ago I would've never imagined being so inspired by five dollars. I might not know what their faces look like but I can see the size of their hearts and I thank them for reminding me what this is all about.

DD

i'm just going to say it

Each One for US All needs your help in adding some new members to our existing Board of Directors. Don't think you can help?? I KNOW YOU CAN.
Everybody has a connection or two that demonstrates the characteristics of a born leader. It could be a family member, a co-worker, a neighbor. There is someone in your life that inspires you to action. Not because you have to, because you want to.
Think about the people you know that seem to know everyone in your community or your industry. The people that draw you in and have that way of making you take note of the things they are saying. The folks who get things done no matter how impossible the task may seem.
Do you volunteer for another organization? Who was the person that got you involved? Maybe they would be interested. Are you close to a high profile individual or someone involved in philanthropy?

Maybe the person is staring back at you in the mirror. Do you believe in what Each One for US All has set out to do? Do you think you can inspire others to get involved in our cause and support the organization?

If you think you are connected to someone who fits the bill or if you think you're that someone, please let me know. I'm always looking for the input of others to make this the organization everything I know it can be.

There it is,,, I said it.

DD