Chatham Day Gathers Goods for Hurricane Victims

The announced Friday they have partnered with The Salvation Army to collect donations for victims of Hurricane Irene in Somerset County.

Donations include clothes for infants and children, water, diapers, nonperishable food and infant formual, according to a statement from the Chatham Day School.

"We are thrilled to partner with Chatham Day School to give residents hope for the future," said Dayana Gonzales of The Salvation Army. "People might not realize that while the sun is shining and the river levels have receded, the suffering continues."

Dr. Pamela Fiander, the head of Chatham Day School, said, "Among our students, we reinforce the value that lending a hand extends beyond just classroom theory and lunchroom conversations, but involves taking action and rolling up their sleeves to achieve a goal. The [H]urricane Irene community service project is part of this mission."

Many Somerset County residents were hit hard by the hurricane. In Hillsborough, for example, the township's Building Department on Dukes Parkway East, Kimberly Drive, Millstone River Road and River Road.

The Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP) headquarters in Somerville were severely damaged in the hurricane, with all stores of food and supplies in the basement and on the first 4 feet of the first floor totally destroyed, .