[NY&NJ] World Mission Society Church of God's river cleanup program

 On August 1, 2010, the World Mission Society Church of God volunteers joined the Hackensack Riverkeeper Program in an effort to combat urban environmental pollution. Its river cleanup program dedicates itself to the cleanliness of the Hackensack River by regularly scheduling public cleanups to abate the build up of litter in waterways and tributaries due to constant pollution and storm runoffs.

 About 100 yellow-vested volunteers showed up on the banks of the Hackensack River, on the north side Fort Lee Road at the intersection of DeGraw Avenue. Hackensack Riverkeeper provided all the necessary equipment and Church of God members brought their passion and fervor to serve the community in order to make the event a success. Some volunteers used pickup sticks to uncover common objects, like glass and plastic bottles,  while some relied on cumulative strength to haul out extra-large tires and even pieces of rusted household appliances embedded in the overgrown brush. Others donned hip waders, taking to the river to grab debris lodged in areas unreachable from the shore and uncovering objects buried in the riverbed. Throwing the refuse in large black plastic bags, teams in canoes paddled up and down gathering all that the teams accumulated.

 World Mission Society Church of God members reflected on their participation in this event, taking moments to consider why exactly they joined in this effort to clean the Hackensack River. Members shared similar thoughts: realizing the joy from volunteering came from the feeling of wanting to make a difference as opposed to be forced to do something and understanding the importance of unity in accomplishing great feats. They took time to think about the environment rather than focusing life’s trivialities. As a result of their efforts, the team collected enough trash to fill a small dump truck–a number of participants even managed to catapult a large tree limb into the truck’s dumping bed! Lisa Ryan, Operations Director and Volunteer Coordinator of the Hackensack Riverkeeper, said, “I was amazed today… it was just amazing, incredibly efficient and the teamwork was really really impressive. We got some spots cleaned up that we never thought we [would] get cleaned up here.”

Click to view the Hackensack River Environmental Cleanup Gallery.

Sorce : http://zionusa.org/contribution-to-society/environmental-cleanups/hackensack-river-cleanup/

[New Jersey] World Mission Society Church of God participate in Pompton Lakes Flood Relief

 On August 28, 2011, Hurricane Irene devastated the neighborhood of Pompton Lakes, NJ, resulting in unprecedented damages—with some houses receiving over 8-feet of water from the swollen Pompton River. The night before the storm, families were unaware of the dangers around them and remained in their neighborhoods with hopes of waiting out the storm. Early morning, however, when Irene unleashed her fury on the state of New Jersey, the residents had no choice but evacuate their homes, taking only loved ones and barely escaping with necessities.

 Upon returning to the community, families were  overwhelmed by the amount of damage the storm did to their property: floors had to be ripped up, walls needed to to be knocked down, homes had to be abandoned and mementos of precious childhoods and family vacations had to be discarded amongst it all. Homeowners worried where they would get the manpower to clean up and restore what was their once pristine homes. Although residents suffered physical and emotional pains in the aftermath of the hurricane, no help was in sight to alleviate the mounting struggles of this catastrophe.

 Finally, to the residents’ consolation, over 300 volunteers of the World Mission Society Church of God arrived over the 2011 Labor Day Weekend to provide disaster relief. Members went house by house encouraging distraught residents with smiles and coaxing them to take a rest while they took care of the intense labor necessary to gut entire houses. Residents said they were not able to genuinely laugh since the tragedy, but with the help of the Church of God members, they could now feel a sense of hope for the future.

 Pompton Lakes’ Mayor, Kathleen Cole, even shed tears of gratitude and appreciation as she thanked the volunteers for their time and hard work. Pompton Lakes resident, Frank Alosevic, wrote to the Church of God, “With you, I felt like a human being again… I saw over 100 young and strong come together to help people like us and never ask for anything: young faces, different faces, beautiful faces, all with smiles. I saw what I never imagine existed anymore, people of all walks of life working together in a brotherly and sisterly fashion… let your loved ones know you are changing other people’s lives for the better.”

 Volunteers from the Church of God worked arduously for three days to help families with work that, as many described, would have taken them weeks and even months to finish on their own. When the time to depart arrived, residents thanked the volunteer group from the bottom of their hearts—genuinely appreciating the assistance they never thought they would have received.

View the Pompton Lakes Disaster Relief Gallery.

Sorce : http://zionusa.org/contribution-to-society/disaster-relief/pompton-lakes-flood-relief/