Unforgotten Haven collecting donations for hurricane-hit Florida towns
The Unforgotten Haven leads a myriad of projects at any given time. Blankets are crocheted for those in need. Cookies are baked for senior citizens and the homeless. Bags filled with toiletries and comfort items are assembled for cancer patients and domestic violence victims.
The local need to support these vulnerable populations — and so many more — is seemingly endless. However, when disaster strikes hundreds of miles away, the Blackwood-based nonprofit recognizes this urgent cry for help, too, and its band of volunteers steps in to help.
Next month, the Unforgotten Haven will be sending a 54-foot tractor-trailer to the Florida panhandle, bringing much-needed supplies to those hardest hit by October’s Hurricane Michael. To fill the trailer, the organization is depending on the community.
“People tend to donate a lot this time of year during the holidays,” Jeanne Rodrigues said. “There are good people. They want to help. They want to give. They just don’t know what to do.”
“We try to guide them,” added Michele Gambone.
Gambone and Rodrigues run the Unforgotten Haven, and orchestrating assistance for Hurricane Michael victims is not the first disaster outreach of this magnitude the pair has undertaken. Three tractor-trailers were sent to hurricane-ravaged areas last year; last month, a caravan of volunteers traveled to North Carolina to help those affected by Hurricane Florence.
“The people that I worked with down there were phenomenal,” Rodrigues said.
The Unforgotten Haven volunteers dropped off donations at a warehouse, and then headed out equipped with blessing bags and chemo bags for those in need. The blessing bags — filled with items such as socks, small toiletries, snacks and washcloths — were given to individuals living in tent cities, among other locations. The chemo bags, which include pre-packaged snacks, juice boxes, chapstick and tissues, were brought to a chemotherapy infusion center. With the help of volunteer Terri Ostberg, who is associated with the Burlington County Animal Alliance, they even brought back five homeless dogs from the region and placed them in loving homes.
The group was able to provide a lot of help in a short span of time, and in December, they want to do it again in Florida.
Specific donations sought for next month’s trip include: diapers (for both babies and adults), baby wipes, baby food, formula, diaper cream, cases of bottled water, unexpired non-perishable food and snacks, pet food, leashes and collars, full-size toiletries, brushes and combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, feminine products, hand sanitizer, razors, soap, lotion, laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, Clorox wipes, mops and buckets, bug repellent, new backpacks and school supplies, and new children’s underwear still in its package. The group also wants to fulfill a seasonal need by bringing new, unwrapped toys for the holidays. Monetary donations are also welcome.
“It’s crazy to fill (the tractor-trailer),” Gambone said, mentioning the exorbitant amount that fits into the 54-foot space. “We have to really push for donations.”
Donations can be dropped off at the Unforgotten Haven, 100 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Monetary donations can be made via Paypal to [email protected].
The tractor-trailer will be starting its journey on Dec. 13, so donations need to be received by Saturday, Dec. 8, to give volunteers time to organize and pack for the trip. Charlie and Dori Larm donated the use of the tractor-trailer (Unforgotten Haven only needed to fundraise for fuel and tolls), and Charlie will be donating his time to drive the vehicle to Florida.
As Gambone and Rodrigues prepare for next month’s journey, they admit it’s not always easy doing what they do. It takes a lot of heart to help those in need, but it can also cause a lot of heartache. There are times they cry, Gambone said, but the friends lift each other up and talk every night.
They agree it’s all worth it.
“When you see the good that comes out of everything,” Rodrigues said, smiling, “it makes up for it.”
To learn more or for more details on donating and volunteering, visit www.theunforgottenhaven.org and www.facebook.com/theunforgottenhaven.
