New Egypt First Aid and Emergency Squad is calling on the public to help them raise fund and find new members.
By: Rob Heyman
PLUMSTED Always there to render aid when needed, the New Egypt First Aid and Emergency Squad is asking the same from the communities it services.
The squad is currently holding its annual fund drive to benefit the group. Residents in its coverage area, which includes all of Plumsted and portions of Upper Freehold, will be receiving pamphlets in the mail during the next couple of weeks asking them to make a financial contribution to the organization.
The fund drive is the squad’s primary source of funding. About 40 to 50 percent of its operating budget come from donations from residents. The rest is received as a direct allocation from the municipalities it covers, said Jodi Byrne, the squad’s treasurer who has been a member for 13 years.
Residents can select how much they want to donate by choosing one of several amounts already designated on the form they receive in the mail. Ms. Byrne said any amount is welcome, regardless of how large or small it is.
The squad’s fund-raising drive is usually held in October, but Ms. Byrne said it’s a bit late this year because there were two other fund-raisers going on in the area last month.
Ms. Byrne said residents have traditionally been very generous in their donations, but added that she believe there are many others who aren’t aware of the squad and its needs.
"I’ve been impressed in the past few years (at the response to the mailed donation forms), but I’ve also been disappointed," she said. "Sometimes we may get only a third of them back."
This month the squad mailed over 4,600 forms to residents, which is on par with the number typically sent out each year, she said.
The squad is also seeking new members. A prerequisite for squad membership is CPR for professional rescuers and standard first aid certifications, which can be provided by the squad prior to joining. For those interested in joining but don’t want to provide care to the sick and injured, Ms. Byrne said the squad has an auxiliary membership, which handles the fund-raising efforts of the group. The squad currently has about 60 members.
"We’re always looking for members," Ms. Byrne said.
Those interested in joining or helping out the group can call the squad at (609) 758-0808 or write to P.O. Box 368, New Egypt, NJ 08533.