Sometimes a place is just a place. And sometimes you find that a place has seeped into you and become a part of you. You feel that a piece of your heart has been left there, added to all the other pieces of many other hearts, and so you have in return become a part of that place as well.
For me, this includes a variety of places, but few as meaningfully as the town of Dover, New Jersey, in my county. Whenever I have been in need of friendship or compassion or support or uplifting or something to eat, the people of Dover have delivered without even being asked, even when they didn’t know me.
And so my heart goes out to all of those who were affected by the fire that happened there on Monday. Some 80 people were displaced by this fire, but the generosity and love of the community ensured that they had places to stay (hotels, the community center, the homes of friends, family, or even strangers) and emergency provisions. But the road to recovery will be long and expensive for these people, many of whom were struggling even before this.
In Dover, the local Green Party chapter and I are working with local friends and one of the churches to provide clothing, toiletries, and other necessary items while also collecting donations of cash to help secure new homes and replace important documents and other items. This help does not go to any of the big agencies but directly to the people affected.
We need as much help as we can get, and so I ask you to provide any amount you can, whether in money, e-gift or regular gift cards, or other kinds of donations. Please email me at theresa@markila.com to learn more, or use this email address to donate by Paypal.
Thank you, with love, for your ongoing support and generosity.
See https://patch.com/new-jersey/morristown/6-businesses-totally-destroyed-dover-fire-prosecutor?fbclid=IwAR1JsiDPWEBZ0Tvaqk_wCQfG__jZ1zFrq5PxNLFjmW2lj44ZtXtUl-y0XcI