College collects backpacks
The office of Career Services, along with the office of Student Life, the Tutoring Center, the Educational Opportunities Fund Program, the Professional Development School Network and the Minority Executive Council, has begun collecting backpacks with school supplies to be sent to New Orleans school children.
Colleen Perry, assistant director of counseling and development, started collecting the backpacks to be distributed by Feed the Children, an international nonprofit relief organization. Along with fellow members of Career Services and other organizations, she has collected backpacks from both students and local residents.
"People have been so excited," Nevolia Ogletree, assistant director of Career Services, said. "They have already donated money, but are happy to be able to do something themselves."
One of the major contributors is the Scout Troop of West Trenton, which is currently filling up 100 backpacks to donate this Friday.
A list of what school supplies are needed for each grade level is available at tcnj.edu/~career/Katrina.htm.
Web page lists ways to help
The College set up a Web site describing the opportunities to offer Hurricane Katrina aid through campus organizations.
One of the events, the New Jersey Compassion Caravan, is part of a statewide relief effort. Donated supplies from the effort are distributed to hurricane victims. The collection is to take place Sept. 25..
The Walk/Run for Katrina Victims will raise funds for the American Red Cross. Students can sign up to walk and raise funds through sponsorship. For more information, visit tcnj.edu/~ccr/news/2005/katrina/index.html.
NJ personnel deployed to South
The New Jersey office of Emergency Management, directed by Acting Governor Richard Codey, sent 173 additional personnel to New Orleans in the form of 148 police officers and 25 hazmat technicians last weekend.
Many other EMTs and police officers are awaiting deployment by the office of Emergency Management, including the College's Lions EMS.
The workers will be staying in New Jersey's base camp at New Orleans, called "Operation Louisiana Emergency Assistance Detail (LEAD)," in reference to the efforts of the state to help handle emergency units in the flooded city.
The new series of personnel will allow most of the previous officers and technicians, who arrived Sept. 7, to return home after a job well done.
"From all accounts, New Jersey's first responders have had a significant impact in New Orleans," N.J. Attorney General Peter C. Harvey said.
