Storm Services team tembers pose with representatives from the Where Angels Play Foundation.
Team member Bunny Wallace gets her copy of “Where Angels Live, Work, and Play: The Story of The Sandy Ground Project” signed.
Storm Services partner Ann Hopkins with her copy of the book.
WHERE ANGELS PLAY FOUNDATION
The Where Angels Play Foundation has touched the hearts of many of our team members. We feel a special kinship to them, since often both of our groups are in an area that has endured some sort of tragedy. Though the circumstances of these tragedies are different, we both have the same goal of trying to help where we can, in any way that we can. We are pleased to report that this year, The Storm Services Charitable Fund has donated over $5000 to the Where Angels Play Foundation.
We wanted to share a little with you about this special foundation and thought the best way to do so was in their own words:
In late 2012, the New Jersey State Firefighters’ Mutual Benevolent Association was committed to providing much needed advocacy and ongoing support for firefighters, their families and their communities struggling from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Just two months after Hurricane Sandy hit, America was stunned following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.
In the days and weeks that followed, the FMBA – like so many others – struggled to find a way to appropriately honor the children, teachers and the families of this tragedy. The NJFMBA President at that time, Bill Lavin from the Elizabeth Fire Department, and members of the NJFMBA had recently worked on building playgrounds in Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Bill’s idea was to build 26 playgrounds in Hurricane Sandy destroyed communities – one to honor the memory of each teacher or student lost that day in Newtown, CT.
The Where Angels Play Foundation was founded and its first tribute initiative “The Sandy Ground Project” was completed in just 18 months. Twenty-six playgrounds were constructed along the coast of three states and built by firefighters, police officers, teachers, school administrators and community volunteers. Each playground reflects the personality of the teacher or child for whom it is named and the project had unanimous approval and blessings of all 26 families.
These very same Newtown families have chosen to “pay it forward” by helping to continue our initiative to build playgrounds in needy communities across the country. Since completing The Sandy Ground Project, the Where Angels Play Foundation has built playgrounds in Mississippi, Massachusetts and New Jersey and continues to spread our mission of honor and healing.
In 2016, we will build playgrounds in Aberdeen and Tinton Falls, NJ and Orillia, ON, Canada.
To learn more about how you can help, visit their website at http://www.whereangelsplayfoundation.org.
BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER
|
|
