Fundraisers, Donations Set Up To Help Flood Victims In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County is still reeling from the deaths, destruction and flooding. Many in the community want to help, Patch has put together a list of some of the fundraisers and collections being set up to help out the flood victims.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced that 25 New Jersey residents were killed in the storm including four in Bridgewater and Hillsborough. One woman is also still missing who got stuck in the flood in Bridgewater. Read More: 4 Killed In Hillsborough, Bridgewater During Ida Flooding

Funeral Expenses

• A GoFundMe fundraising site has been set up for Bridgewater resident Suzie Hanna, who was one of the people killed in the flood. Hanna had just celebrated her 30th birthday last weekend.

"The Hanna family has lived, worked, and gone to school in our community for many years. Their loss is felt by so many of us. I am a friend of the family looking to help ease the burden of funeral expenses during this very difficult time," said Caroline Fryzel.

To donate to help the Hanna family with funeral expenses click here.

• Daphnee Francisca Lopez Del Bono, 30, a resident of Santiago Chile, who lived in Ringoes, was also among those killed in Hillsborough floodwaters.

A GoFundMe was started to help with started this fund to help Lopez Del Bono's family in the funeral and transport costs. To donate click here.

House Explosions

Two house explosions, one in Somerville and another in Manville, were reported on Wednesday and Thursday. Read More: 1 House Explodes, 1 Still On Fire In 8 Feet Of Water In Manville

• Manville House Explosion - "Our family members, Meagan and Caesar, had to flee their first home with their 4 month old baby girl Lila on Wednesday the 2nd due to the flooding in their hometown of Manville, New Jersey from the effects of Ida. Caesar and his father-in-law raced back to save the cat and did before the floodwaters rose. Unfortunately, on Thursday their home exploded due to a gas leak from the flooding, and was completely destroyed. They have lost everything. Whatever you can contribute to help them get on their feet would be greatly appreciated. They are devastated. Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts!" To donate click here.

• Somerville House Explosion - The children of Susan Smock created a GoFundMefor their mom whose home exploded on Wednesday night.

Smock was able to evacuate safely with her Boxer Molly But all of her belongings and personal possessions were destroyed.

"She left the house with only the clothes she was wearing. We are raising funds on her behalf, to help fund the purchase of clothing, shoes, furniture, bedding, linens, kitchenware, etc for her and her dog as well as temporary housing," according to the GoFundMe.

To donate click here.

Fire

• Darin Watkins created a GoFundMe fundraising website for his friend Justin Marotta and his family in Manville who lost everything they had in a house flood and fire.

"They lost all of their clothing, cars, and personal family ideas. He is an amazing kid who works hard and never asks for much but I will ask if everyone can just pitch in a little to help him and his family to get back on their feet thank you to all and God bless," said Watkins.

To donate to the fundraiser click here.

Flooding

• David & Nicole Fosco and their 2 kids - The Bridgewater family "had 1/3 of the foundation of their home collapse from the rapid waters of Hurricane Ida in Bridgewater. They are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Their home has been deemed inhabitable and no one can go inside at all as the house is barely being held up by a buckling wall in the basement. Any little bit will help them right now and every single bit will be greatly appreciated. Funds will be spent on rent & essentials they may need." To donate click here.
• Help The Keri’s After Effects of Hurricane Ida - This 5th-grade Basking Ridge teacher and family, (Leigh, Chris and CJ) house was devastatingly affected by remnants from Hurricane Ida on Wednesday. "Their entire basement flooded and the water just missed their 1st floor by about an inch. Their cars are totaled as well. With everything that they’ve stored in their basement destroyed and a baby on the way, we are reaching out to family and friends to help support them as they navigate this time over the next several months and ensure their home is safe." Click here to donate.
• The Knief Family of Hillsborough - "Last night, the Knief family endured a life altering experience. Their house became a victim to Hurricane Ida. Both floors of their home was completely submerged in storm water. Jamie Ayuso, Gianna Ayuso, Danny Knief, and the family dog Zoey, were trapped in the house while Theresa Ayuso was stuck at the hospital where she works. The family had to be rescued at 4am by the NJ task force, Hillsborough EMS department. Thankfully, everyone inside made it out okay, however, the family has yet to be reunited." Click here to donate.
• The Stevens Family of Bridgewater - "The Stevens Family are involved members of Bridgewater Township and have lived there for many years. As torrential rain hit in such a short period of time, it was too much for them to handle & ultimately took over their entire basement & backyard. In the middle of the night, they were forced to leave their house due to the water reaching 7ft. & ended up driving down the street & sleeping in their cars. The basement at the Stevens household held a lot of family memories. Celebrations, pictures, holidays & family heirlooms were kept down there. Clothes, essentials, furniture, electronics, & more were all destroyed. The backyard was where they spent most of their time as the water nearly reached the top of the deck & lawn furniture floated in all directions. They are currently back at the house with no power & working off of 48 hours of no sleep. I can tell you that if this was any other family in Bridgewater, they would be the first to help in any way possible. No donation is too small, for all they want is to fix what they lost! I thank you ALL in advance for any donations or prayers sent for the Stevens family!" Click here to donate.
• Manville Family - "We recently lost our home our cars and everything in this unpredictable flood. All we were able to grab were our medications ID’s and a bag of water. Please help anyway possible for my family and my kids." To donate click here.
• Help for the Hynes - Julie and Jarrett Hynes' house flooded from the North Branch River overflowing during the Ida storm. Most of their belongings and their home have been ruined. This have been a devastating loss for them. To donate click here.
• Help Kangaroo Kids Recover from the Storm - "As many of you know, our beloved Kangaroo Kids suffered major damage in the recent flood from the remnants of Ida. As resilient as our KK family is, many items were a total loss in the school." To donate click here.

Donations

• The Volunteer Squad will be gifting donations of gift cards to families and those in need. If you'd like to nominate a family, individual or yourself, please use this form.

If you'd like to donate a gift card you can drop off gift cards at the following locations. PLEASE place in envelopes and label "Volunteer Squad Donation." at 542 Foothill Rd., Bridgewater; 10 Overlook Drive, Bridgewater; 794 W. Foothill Rd., Bridgewater; 13 Hamilton St., Somerville; 5 Hughes Rd., Bridgewater.

To nominate yourself or a family in need for help use this form here.

• Somerset County Business Partnership is collecting food donations next week Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at their office at 360 Grove Street in Bridgewater. Their nonprofits tell us what they really need are canned items such as soups, chicken, tuna, and fruit.

Food Distribution

Raritan Food Pantry will be open for distribution Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you are in need of assistance, please do not hesitate to come, whether you are an existing client or someone who has been impacted by the storm.

For anyone who may be new to visit us, we allow two households to shop at a time in the store (masks required). No appointment is required, we let everyone in the store in the order they arrive.

We may see a bit of an increase in clients over our next few distribution days, but do not worry, we will get everyone in and shopping ASAP.

If you need assistance and cannot come Saturday, email raritanfoodpantry@gmail.com.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.