In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit the coast of New Jersey, TCNJ students come together to help in the relief efforts for those suffering in their school’s home state. Members of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, Student Government, and Student Affairs, along with other students, faculty, and staff, have joined forces to create a new campus initiative: TCNJ Here for Home.
This organization’s website is working to bring information about donation drives, events, and other on-campus efforts together in one place on this resource for students. TCNJ Here for Home also organizes hands-on volunteer opportunities in effected areas, both in Ewing and along the shore.
Upcoming Events to Benefit Victims of Sandy:
Tuesday, November 12: Collection Drive at Dessert Night
There will be a collection drive at the Center for Global Engagement and Phi Alpha Theta’s Dessert Night on Monday, November 12th at 8:30pm in the Student Center. Please bring donations as you are able and find a list of needed supplies below:
- Bleach & Disinfectants
- Brooms, Mops, Sponges
- Rakes and Shovels
- Goggles
- Laundry & Dish Detergent
- Hand Sanitizer
- Paper Towels
- Flash Lights
- Batteries
- Construction-grade Trash Bags
- Heavy Duty Work Gloves
- Canned Goods
- Coffee
- Baby Food
- Diapers
- Formula
- Personal Care Items
- Water / Gatorade / Vitamins
Tuesday, November 13: Blood Drive
Student Government and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are sponsoring a Blood Drive on campus on Tuesday, November 13th from 12:00pm-6:00 p.m. in the Brower Student Center, Room 202 W.
One donor will win a football jersey of the team and player of their choice. All donors will be entered in a larger raffle to win $500 for their own Super Bowl Party!
Sign up at: http://tinyurl.com/TCNJBloodDrive
Walk In’s are welcome!
Saturday, November 17: Crystal Plumage Films’ 2nd Anniversary (Proceeds for Sandy Relief)
Looking to get off campus? Need something good to do on a Saturday night? Come out to celebrate Crystal Plumage Films’ 2nd anniversary of screening 35mm horror films on the big screen. This year’s throwbacks: The Re-Animator and Daughters of Darkness. All proceeds from the screenings will go towards the TCNJ Here for Home Response to Sandy relief fund!
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Forum Theater Cultural Arts Center, located at 314 Main Street in Metuchen, NJ. Tickets are $15 each. For more information, check out the Facebook Event or the Crystal Plumage Films website.
Other Campus Efforts:
Donations Needed for Lavallette Elementary School
A TCNJ student is running a collections drive on campus for school supplies and book donations to help her town’s school district, displaced by Hurricane Sandy:
“I’m from a small shore town on one of the barrier islands (near Seaside), and the entire town remains evacuated after Sandy. My little sister’s elementary school (and my alma mater), Lavallette Elementary, is inaccessible, and will remain that way through the rest of the school year. In the meantime, they are renting out CCD classrooms from a Greek Orthodox Church in Toms River, NJ in order to keep the students in school. The classrooms have a few desks and whiteboards (I know the Board of Ed is working on getting more desks and white boards donated, as well as extra copies of textbooks from the textbook companies), but are in dire need of all other school supplies necessary to run a classroom.
It’s not so much pencils/crayons/notebooks that they need desperately (but of course these would still be appreciated), but they need to buy copiers and printers and ink, and will probably have to print out most of their lessons for a while because the students have no books yet. So they are asking for gift cards to places such as Staples, Office Depot, WalMart, etc. to help purchase these big items.
Other donations that would be greatly appreciated include white printer paper (they need a lot of this!) and white board supplies (markers, erasers, etc.).
Also, any sort of educational tools for elementary-aged children K-8 would be greatly appreciated, such as flash cards, games, workbooks, kits/supplies to make holiday crafts, etc. Pretty much anything that could be used as a teaching supplement, since they really don’t have much of anything right now.
There are boxes located in the Bliss Lounge, the main entrance to the Social Sciences Building, and the Lobby of the New Education Building. Please drop off any donations you can!
Sigma Tau Delta will also be at a table in the Student Center on Monday, November 19, from 11:30 to 3:30 p.m. to collect monetary and material donations.”
TCNJ Storm Stories
Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, has created a gmail account, tcnjstormstories@gmail.com, and a Tumblr blog, tcnjstormstories.tumblr.com, to collect TCNJ students’ creative writing pieces and photographs that relate to their experiences before, during, and/or after Hurricane Sandy.
When the Sigma Tau Delta executive board tried to create an initiative to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts that related to literature about the Jersey shore, they quickly found out that no such literature actually existed. Who better to write their own, the e-board figured, than TCNJ students students themselves? After all, most students could say they were either personally affected or have ties to people who were. Sigma Tau Delta looking for any form of expression, from a short story to an epic poem, haiku, shopping list, etc., about your favorite childhood memory at the shore, what it was like to weather the storm without power, how you volunteered during the aftermath, or any experiences of the like.
Sigma Tau Delta will be printing all of the stories in a literary magazine (with permission from authors). They will also be using select lines from students’ writings to create a T-shirt design. All profits from the magazine and t-shirt sales will be donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.
Check back often on the TCNJ Here for Home website for updates on new ways to get involved! You can also fill out this online form to be added to the TCNJ Here for Home volunteer mailing list, and find out about volunteer opportunities through the TCNJ Here for Home Facebook group and Twitter account.