By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
More than 700 boxes filled with clothing, school supplies and other items are on their way to Houston, Texas and the victims of Hurricane Harvey, thanks to Operation Friends Again.
Operation Friends Again volunteers gathered at the Daube Farm to pack the boxes onto a railroad shipping container, which will be taken by rail to the hurricane-damaged city.
Operation Friends Again is a joint effort between the Montgomery Township Public School District and community volunteers and residents. The school district has “adopted” two schools in Houston – Dogan Elementary School and Sugar Grove Middle School – and wants to help the students who lost their possessions in the hurricane.
The original Operation Friends was formed in 2005 to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Miss. Operation Friends – this time, Operation Friends Again – was revived to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The boxes that are earmarked for the Houston, Texas victims are filled with clothing, toiletries, school supplies, snacks and age-appropriate toys, books and magazines. The young victims range in age from 4 to 14.
Arrangements have been made for someone from Operation Friends Again to be on hand in Houston when the boxes arrive there in a few days for distribution to the Hurricane Harvey victims.
The committee is in need of contributions to offset the cost of shipping. There was an overflow of more than 90 boxes that did not fit on the container and need to be shipped separately. so Operation Friends is still accepting contributions to offset the cost of shipping. Consider sending a check made out to Operation Friends to Operation Friends, P.O. Box 200, Skillman, N.J. 08558.
