Rutherford church helps hurricane victims clean up

RUTHERFORD — It was a bucket brigade of sorts. As members of the First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford congregation watched the devastation unfold in Texas when Hurricane Harvey made landfall, they knew they wanted to help. It was just a matter of how.

The Rev. Peter Wilkinson called out to his clergy colleagues of over 30 years to put together a plan.

“Hurricane Harvey was churning through Texas and we were noticing people were wondering how to be helpful and supportive here in New Jersey,” Wilkinson said. “But my experience as pastor has shown me that it is difficult to get things where tragedy hits."

He reached out to Church World Service, which knew not only how to get into the devastated areas, but what was needed most. That's when the the First Presbyterian Church's bucket brigade was born.

“They gave a list of what to put in the kits and even had a video on how to pack the kits and where you can physically take things so that they can be sent on. It was easy,” Wilkinson said. “We had a list of items of what’s needed for things like flooding and digging out. They provided specific lists.”

Congregant and deacon James Vermeulen organized the shopping list that included scouring pads, sponges, a scrub brush, reusable cleaning towels, a bottle of liquid laundry detergent, a bottle of liquid disinfectant dish soap, a bottle of household cleaner that can be mixed with water, a package of clothespins, a clothesline, five dust masks, two pairs non-surgical, non-latex gloves, a pair of work gloves, cotton with leather palm or all leather, heavy duty trash bags on a roll and a bottle of non-aerosol insect repellent and the five-gallon buckets with resealable lids.

After a week of shopping, last Sunday, about 40 congregants were placed in assembly line production loading and sealing the buckets. Heavy items went to the bottom, while things needed first such as work gloves were packed last.

“Ford motor assembly style,” Vermeulen said. 

They knocked out 100-plus buckets in a half hour.

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Most of the time was spent gathering the items, and Vermeulen's experience as a purchasing agent came in handy.

“I’m a purchaser for a Taylor Rental place so through that I have access to wholesale pricing for some of the items that go inside the buckets and my work was kind enough to let me order through that,” Vermeulen said.

Other items, such as dish soap and detergent, were ordered from ShopRite and delivered to the church.

The buckets will be dropped off at a collection site for Church World Service next week. The effort, first intended to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey, now might go further.

“We give it to the organization and they funnel it to where they need it. Now it may be funneled to Irma victims. They send it where there is an immediate need, so it doesn’t sit in a warehouse,” Vermeulen said.

Residents can help, too, by using the guidelines on the Church World Service website to create their own buckets and dropping them off at the church office on East Passaic Avenue. Wilkinson said the church will deliver them.

The church is still taking monetary donations to defray the cost of the drive, and because of its success, another drive might happen.

Email: sobko@northjersey.com