help is on the way, dear!

http://www.disasterresponseteamofamerica.com/tag/donation/
Drop off Sites:

Trinity Bible Church
3801 Allenwood-Lakewood Road
Allenwood, NJ 07719

Monmouth Executive Airport
1717 State Route Highway 34 S
Wall, NJ 07719

H & R Welding
307 Drum Point Road
Brick, NJ 08723

Calvary Chapel Cornerstone
6550 Rt. 9 S.
Howell, NJ 07731

A weird New Jersey story:
Thanks to the generous people at Marlboro-Manalapan Rehab with the cooperation of Management at Geri-Care and Pine Brook Care Center's Dept of Housekeeping (Deb and Doris) and Maintenance (Salvo), we were able to secure a donation of used medical equipment for the needy and injured in Haiti.

I called the church to be sure there would be someone on the other end to receive the items and help me get them into the trailer containing stuff which will be shipped out via the Disaster Response Team of America from Wall New Jersey to Haiti sometime this week.

I had asked Phil, one of the guys I work with if I could borrow his pick-up. Phil has a heart of gold and is ALWAYS helping us one way or another, so I knew that if his truck was available, I could count on him. After explaining the situation, that the trailer would be open until 5PM, Phil handed me the keys and I took the truck over to the garage where the equipment was loaded to capacity.

After securing the load, I said a quick prayer, and took off for the church in good time. The church is about 20 miles down Rt.9. I was taking my time so as not to disturb the balance of the cargo. I'd hate to drop a wheelchair, crutch or walker on the road, or worse, the hood of the car behind me.

Everything is moving along just fine until about a mile away from the church, it occurs to me that I had left without my warm coat and though dressed in several layers, realize I should have brought it along.

I decide to pull into WAWA for a long hot cup of 'Lemon Lane' Tea (with added lemon and honey) to warm the cockles. While in there, "Glory Days" is wrapping up and I am thinking 'how nice it is to get out of work while it is still daylight'.

As I'm in there, pouring up the tea, my boss calls to tell me that Bruce Springsteen was working out on a nearby elliptical. She act's like it's not that huge a deal for her. Though socially poised, we both know she's having a 'David Cassidy Moment'. I asked about his color.
"How's about his color?"
"He's tan. Very dark. He must have been away".
...Haiti? I don't know. I wonder if the man owns one of those 'super stand-up' tanning booths. Maybe.
"How's about his hair?"
"It looks good. I'll tell ya Gee, he's much cuter in person."

I tend to think most people are. Better looking in person. Well, not everyone, certainly not fashion models who are often air-brushed. So I pay for my tea and get back into Phil's truck. Yes, it's a beautiful but cold and windy day on the Howellbama side of the Jersey Shore, but nice to get out. I decided to put an end to after work internet nonsense and get outside sooner.

I pull the truck out and put it into gear and take off. The engine cuts out. I sit for a moment, and try it again. Nothing. The truck, loaded up like Fred Sanford's, is sitting in the middle of the parking lot. Completely blocking cars from getting out. The one guy tells me I can't park there.

"You can't just park there! People have to get out!"

Crazy woman driver. I tell him it's broken down, and have to physically push the truck out of his way. Still, it's not in a space. He pulls out and I walk into WAWA.

They find an employee (the guy who pumps gas) to jump Phil's truck. It works momentarily, and then cuts out again. Two other guys take notice of the situation and try to jump the thing with two other sets of cables. Finally the last guy, the one appearing most knowledgeable on the subject breaks it to me that something 'more serious' is going on here, and that I'd best have it towed to my mechanic. They all agree and push the truck into a parking spot off to the side. I thank them for their efforts. The cab is still warm and I have a cellphone and hot cup of tea. Hmm...I wonder what's going on here? I mean besides the obvious. If, according to Romans 8:28, 'ALL things work together for good for those who are called according to His purposes', then I should just thank God and do the next best thing. Still, sometimes I don't get it. I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to have me break down after the stuff was delivered? Being that I don't know the end from the beginning, and I have an active imagination, it's not hard to imagine all of the possible darker scenarios that I could have encountered had this not happened at WAWA at that time of the day. Ought I have ignored my hot tea longings and stayed the course? I decided it was for the BEST that this happened and only God knows why. As for the ending, I would have to do something here, and wait and see.

Naturally, I decided to call triple A and have it towed to Pep-boys, but on a whim first I called my friend Al instead.

Al V, my ex-H, but still a caring and dependable friend. He works in Camden but just happened to be within 5 miles of my breakdown. I explained what had happened. He drives up, lifts the hood and within 2 seconds discovers the loose terminal wire and tightens it up. It's a hero's moment. I love the sound of a car or truck starting up!

Yay!!! It was like Winnie The Pooh getting unstuck from his hole in the ground. I'm NOT STUCK here in the freezing cold!!! AND the wheelchairs, walkers and crutches will make it to Haiti this time around! Momma's gonna WALK, baby!

My hero then follows me to the church and helps to unload the wheelchairs walkers and crutches into the trailer, which by the way is piling up with all kinds of good things for Haitians. Thanks SO MUCH to Phil and Al and the other 3 guys and all of you people whoever you are for your effort to help others out there in the freezing cold or heat of Haiti.