Destination: Fairlawn, New Jersey

My Dad sent this email out last night to lots of people in our area. We will be leaving Saturday morning to drive to New Jersey to take food, water and warm clothing to the people who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. If you live in this area, please consider donating something (information on how to do so below). If you live in another state, please pray that we'll be able to take a good amount of things to these people and pray for the people affected by this.

Also, please pass this on to anyone in the Central Ohio area! We'll be accepting donations at our home until Friday evening. 

Thank you,

Katie

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Central Ohio Friends:

As you know, Hurricane Sandy ravaged areas along the New York and New Jersey shore.  Residents have lost everything – homes, cars and all their possessions.  Many people are still without electricity and thus without heat, clean water or even the most basic of necessities – the temperatures are plummeting with nights below freezing.  The stores have been emptied and families could not even buy supplies if they were able – there just aren’t any left!  The sheer number of people affected along with lack of gasoline and public transportation has left many residents trapped with no way out and without needed supplies. 

I grew up in New Jersey and still have family in the area – this coupled with the images of suffering we’ve seen in the news has motived my family to action.  These people need our help!  They are regular people – just like you and me – just like your children and babies – just like your grandparents!  This evening, I spoke with my Aunt and her Pastor.  Pastor Boone is also a police officer and he said the devastation is more than you can understand or appreciate from TV.   He told me that access to the hardest hit areas is limited to only residents and relief crews.  A firehouse in Fairlawn, NJ is acting as a clearing house for donated items.  They then deliver the items by ambulance to the victims most in need of help.  We would like to take a box trailer full of items to the Fairlawn firehouse for distribution to the flood victims.  Because the needs are immediate, we plan to leave this Saturday November 10 to deliver the items on Sunday November 11. 

This is where you come in.  I have observed first hand that the businesses and residents in the Marysville and surrounding communities are very generous with their time and treasures.  We are greatly blessed here and my request to you is that you use some of those blessings to help us fill a trailer so we can help those in desperate need along the New Jersey shore.

Items needed are:

Food – non-perishable, easy-to-open, nutritious items

Peanuts and peanut butter

Raisins and dried fruit

Beef Jerky and dried meat products

Meal replacement bars

                Cases of water bottles

One gallon size and personal-sized

                Baby Supplies

                                Diapers – all sizes

                                Wipes

                                Premixed baby formula and bottles

                               Baby Food

New or clean used:

                                Blankets & Pillows

                                Coats, gloves, hats, sweatshirts, sweaters, warm socks, etc.

                Cold weather supplies

                                Hand-warmers, foot warmers, etc

I urge you to consider all the blessings you have at your disposal, including your warm dry bed and search deep for what you can do to help those who have lost everything.  Donations of supplies will be taken at our home all day Tue-Friday this week.  Please email Pam to arrange a time to drop-off supplies (pcomstock@clarityts.com).  Remember, we’ll be transporting these items in a trailer that we’d like to fill floor to ceiling.  Purchase water and food by the case whenever possible to make them easier to stack and pack.  Aldi is a great place to shop by the case – they have great prices and their cases are right there in the aisle for you to easily purchase.  If you have extra boxes to bring clothing and blankets in, please prepack those items and clearly mark the contents on the outside of the box.  If you have additional empty boxes, please bring those along for us to pack items that arrive unboxed.

If you’d prefer to donate cash and have us shop for you, please do so before noon on Friday.  We will go shopping Friday afternoon to purchase needed items at a local store.  Speaking of local stores, we encourage you to think outside the box when gathering supplies.  If you know of a local business owner who might be willing to donate items in their store to help the victims - please contact them.

To transport these items, I need to borrow or rent an enclosed trailer.  We’d prefer to borrow one so that there is more money available to buy supplies for the victims.  If you have a trailer we can borrow, please contact us.  We have a van that will tow 8,000lbs, so can handle a good-sized double-axle trailer.

We realize that to some this may seem like a short turnaround time to perform such a huge task of filling an entire trailer full of relief items.  We believe in miracles and are trusting in God and in the generosity of our community to fill the trailer that will provide relief and some practical help to the people who have been so devastated by this storm.

Please pass this note long as you see fit.

God Bless You All,

Jason Comstock and Family

jcomstock@clarityts.com / 614-306-0535

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land. (Deuteronomy 15:11)

“When the Son of Man (Jesus) comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’  (Matthew 25:31-40)