For the Greater Hood, a non-profit organization that opens pop-up shops in the tri-state area where guests are treated to an enjoyable shopping experience, and the United Way of Passaic County provided a unique boutique shopping experience for Emergency Food and Shelter Partner clients and flood victims from Passaic County.
The event, a ‘pop-up’ shop in honor of MLK Day of Service, aimed to assist community members, including those affected by the recent floods. The boutique offered a selection of brand-new clothing in both children’s and adult sizes. More than 500 individuals were served by volunteer personal shoppers and received four new outfits of brand new clothes at no cost which totaled over 7,000 articles of clothing. 200 volunteers assisted in the initiative including volunteers from Jack and Jill of America who sponsored the event along with the United Way of Passaic County.
The United Way of Passaic County established a relief fund to aid those devastated by the floods. This fund aims to provide critical assistance to the affected individuals and families.
“This second round of flooding has devastated communities in Passaic County,” Mary Celis, CEO of United Way of Passaic County said. “We are asking local businesses, our corporate partners as well as individuals to donate to the recovery fund to help flood victims recover.”
“We lost a lot from the floods, and we fear it’s only going to get worse with the weather,” Mercedes Rivera, a resident and pop-up shop attendee said. “ We lost some clothes, we lost our cars, and I am so thankful for this organization because I can get new clothes for myself and my kids, and it just helps relieve some stress.”