Toms River Churches Step Up for Storm Support

Storm shelters in Ocean County fade as schools return to classroom operations. It leaves many families wondering where their next meals will come from - and whether they'll have them at home. Two prominent Toms River churches are taking up the job of keeping people fed through the crisis.

Beginning Saturday, volunteers at the Toms River Church of Christ begin unloading a tractor-trailer filled with items aimed at restoring some normalcy for stranded families. The semi was filled and driven from Nashville by the national Church of Christ disaster relief team.

Besides food and water, they've brought blankets, pillows, sheets, clothes, diapers, gloves, rakes, shovels, mops, cleaning solutions, and other items.

Distribution begins Saturday morning at 9 AM and continues each Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 9 PM, on their grounds at 1126 Hooper Avenue. Visit http://www.tomsriverchurchofchrist.org.

The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties begins distribution of goods for storm victims Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, 1070 Hooper Avenue. Foodbank volunteers in cooperation with the American Red Cross and emergency management staffers hand out food, blankets, cleaning supplies, diapers, and personal hygiene supplies starting at 1 PM.

Information from the FoodBank says that their staffers have delivered more than 260,000 meals to food pantries, shelters, and relief agencies since the October 28 storm. They're operating seven days a week throughout November at the headquarters on Route 66 in Neptune.

For information about this initiative and others, visit http://www.foodbankmoc.org.