By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
It was a major storm with intense flooding that came from Hurricane Irene a month ago but there has been an outpouring of caring people who could not just sit back but instead came out to help those in need.
Over at the Red Cross shelter at the VFW, besides the many Red Cross volunteers, volunteers came out in droves to help make a bad situation a little brighter for those affected by the flooding.
Jim Wisor, president of Veterans of Manville was one of the volunteers that helped.
”We have had an outpouring of people who have come out to help us with the food. Renny (Dilks) has done a stellar job as the chef and pulled things together and I don’t think anyone can complain about the quality or variety of food,” he said.
”People who are the volunteers are victims also and they have put it on the side as they were here to help because they know how important it is. People have just been really really great and everybody is trying to make the best of it,” Mr. Wisor said .
Resident volunteer Darlene Thomaszfski also volunteered her time at the shelter while it was open. She had been there helping every day since it was opened from day one at midnight the night of the hurricane when the power went out.
”They needed it and we were there. I came because they needed it more than anybody else. We were cooking and cleaning for them so they could have a place to stay. We provided them their meals and somebody to talk to,” she said.
People even far away came to help and support those who needed it at the VFW. Former Manville resident Adam Kita, now of Phillipsburg, came to see if his brother, Bob Kita, needed any help and fortunately he was not affected.
”I decided to come back to the town of Manville where I graduated from and just had a heart-breaking experience seeing all the people just walking around town and driving around town. I brought some supplies — bleach, cleaning supplies, gloves — and just helping out various people in the neighborhoods on the North side.”
”I also went over to Manville High School where I went to school and saw all the pets lined up in the hallways and outside. It was nice to see that those dogs were really getting some of the best treatment that I have ever seen. They were getting walked around and they were fed. People have been donating cat food dog food, dog treats and it has just been amazing,” he said.
”As much as I was heartbroken, it was nice to see the people pull together back from my hometown of Manville it was heartwarming also,” Mr. Kita said.
