Woodbury hurricane fund raiser set for Oct. 1

One family with three children, including a kindergarten girl, barely escaped their home - filled with four feet of water - with the help of a front-end loader. When they returned, they found that they had lost everything. One senior citizen who was living by herself evacuated to her son’s house. Having not brought medicines, her cat and other essentials, her son swam to her place during the storm to collect what he could . When he got there, nearly everything in his mother’s home was floating in water. One mother had just bought school supplies and clothes for her three children and put everything in the shed behind her house. They were all lost, days before school, along with the whole first floor of her bi-level. While many in town just had their electricity go out for a day or two, these people and many others lived - and are still living - what can only be described as a nightmare; some had flood insurance but many did not. The one silver lining from this local crisis has been the overwhelming sense of community and charity by our Woodbury neighbors. Within 24 hours, the PTA, CV Elementary School, CV United Methodist Church and local residents made sure that the children affected by the hurricane had clothes and supplies for the start of school. Local residents and organizations like the Woodbury Lions Club generously donated gift cards to help families with immediate needs. The Highland Mills United Methodist Church, Jay’s Deli, and Cafe Fiesta made sure no one went hungry. With nearly 30 of our Woodbury neighbors still displaced from their homes - most of which have been deemed uninhabitable by the Buildings Department - they and the other victims in town still need our help. Which is why the Woodbury Community Association will be hosting a fund raiser for the hurricane victims on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Earl Reservoir. There will be no minimum contribution. We just ask that people give what they can at the gate to help our neighbors. All proceeds will go to the Woodbury victims of the hurricane. While still in the organizing stages, there will be barbeque food and live music, amongst other entertainment. More details of the event will follow in the coming weeks. Donations for the hurricane victims may also be sent to: Woodbury Community Association, PO Box 469, Central Valley, NY 10917. Tom Bompensiero is the 2011 President of the Woodbury Community Association, an organization with more than 90 years of service in our town.