Thank you Mercy Hurst and Keene

Last weekend we had two spunky groups in doing a variety of work and sharing a home in the Brigantine Community Center.  Students came from Mercy Hurst in Eerie Pennsylvania and Keene State in New Hampshire.

During time between projects they did a beach clean up in the Brigantine area.  They also participated in a Wave of Action beach clean up through Clean Ocean Action (www.cleanoceanaction.org) in Long Beach Island and were not dampened by poor weather, until extremely heavy rains brought them back to Brigantine for a new project.  

The groups also participated in feeding homeless Sister Jean's Kitchen in Atlantic City for their breakfast and then continued the work day with Americorp, gutting a large apartment building and mucking out the basement of another.  The gentleman in the picture below geared up in their Tyvek suits for the basement which was still wet from Superstorm Sandy and filled with wet furniture and other belongings.

A mix of both groups also participated in sorting at a distribution center we've worked at before, Blankets for Brigantine and Beyond.  Pictures of the women who run the center are shown below.  Jenelle from Mercy Hurst found their story so inspiring.  They are just several women who saw a need and made this distribution center happen and continue to every Saturday.  They bring in shipments of food, clothing, toys, furniture, cleaning supplies, and other household essentials on a weekly basis.  They've even begun to gather supplies for rebuild such as sheet rock and insulation.  These women started the center with intentions of giving out blankets to residents for some quality home comfort and there stay has been so greatly appreciated to the community of Brigantine.