Scouts to Hold Benefit Dinner for Moors Landing Residents

It has been more than a month since Hurricane Irene caused extensive damage to much of the east coast, but for at least some residents of Howell the impact of the storm is still being felt on a daily basis. 

For residents of the community, many remain displaced by the flooding that washed out much of their houses. Not only did the hurricane cause damage but a storm the week prior also made a mess in a cul-de-sac of the development. In an effort to help these residents, Cub Scout Pack 150 and Boy Scout Troop 150 will be holding a pasta dinner at the on Adelphia Rd. 

Sharon Lines, one of the leaders of the pack said the event will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with all of the proceeds going to the residents, many of whom are in rental properties or staying with family and friends. 

And while the boys will not be doing the cooking, Lines said they will still get a valuable learning experience out of the day helping to set up and break down the event. They will also be responsible for clearing the tables as people come to support their fellow residents and enjoy a good meal. 

Lines said that while she knew there were parts of the town that were hit hard by Irene, she did not realize the full extent of what the Moors Landing residents had gone through. "I knew they had flooding, I didn't know how bad," she said. After talking to one resident of the development, Lines said she knew she wanted to do something. "I heard these stories and I wanted to do something to help," she said.

With the brunt of the damage in the community coming from Irene, the residents were still in the process of cleaning up from a the week before when the hurricane hit. 

The cost to attend the dinner is just $5 per person but Lines said every little bit will help the Moors Landing residents as they work to return their lives to normalcy. "If they have a few extra dollars that would be great," she said. "We're going to turn over everything to the families."

Since the storm first hit residents have come in a variety of ways to the residents of Moors Landing including helping them to clean out the furniture and other damaged items from their houses.  

In addition to the nominal fee for the dinner Lines said donations of gift cards to places like Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores would be greatly appreciated by those that they will benefit. 

In the end, Lines said the dinner will be a chance for the community to come together to help their neighbors through what has been an unprecedented event in the township. "It's just what we're supposed to do as human beings," she said. "We're just hoping to make a difference."