Connecting clients to the audiences that matter most.™ 
215-340-0480 

Helping Hurricane Katrina Victims

On Saturday, September 10, 2005, members of the Furia Rubel staff joined forces with personal friends, fellow Drexel University college alumni, neighbors, relatives and strangers to take part in a local effort to send supplies and helping hands to the Gulf Coast. 

Phil Hagerty of Mount Laurel, New Jersey contacted Furia Rubel’s president, Gina Rubel, on September 8th requesting assistance with grassroots efforts to rent and fill two 24 foot trucks with essential supplies for the hurricane survivors.

In an email to Gina, Phil said, “I'm sure, you have been moved by what you have seen in the last week or so in the Gulf States. Many of us have watched in horror, and wondered what we can do.” As a result, Phil Hagerty, Mary Ellen Martelli, Jeff Meade and Jan Deruiter organized a  trip to Covington, Louisiana to join a group of volunteers, Veterans for Peace (www.vfproadtrips.org), that have organized to help the hurricane victims in Louisiana and surrounding areas.

In less than a week, hundreds of people mobilized from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas to support the cause.  The rental of two trucks were donated, one by Gina Rubel of Furia Rubel Communications and the other by Paul Ahr of PA Marketing, both of  Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers accepted donated supplies at three South Jersey locations.

A teddy bear donated from Rubel’s daughter to be delivered to a child will ride shotgun in one of the trucks – guiding their journey.

Paul Ahr said, “If you're like me, over past two weeks you've probably had a moment or two of ... 'I feel like renting a truck and filling it up with supplies and driving it down to the Gulf coast myself.'  Well, there are four people that are ACTUALLY DOING THAT!  I am so honored to have been introduced to them and while I wish I could make the trip with them, I did what I could to financially help make this happen.”
 
Today, two full trucks left from South Jersey for their 20-hour trek to Covington, Louisiana. Among the donated items is water, canned goods, baby supplies, medical and hygienic supplies, cleaning supplies, school items, electrolyte beverages, paper goods and much more. In addition to these donations, the efforts have raised $20 thousand dollars to date. CN-8 and NBC10 News covered the departure. NBC10 quoted the volunteers as saying, “

"We were not happy with the speed of which supplies were getting to the people that needed them," relief organizer Phil Hagerty said. "We rallied all of our friends. Here we are. We have two truckloads ready to go."

"We started getting the trucks together, getting an OK from the Super G to use their lots for the collection point," relief organizer Mary Allen Martelli said. "This is all donations from people of South Jersey and the area."

To learn more about these efforts, to follow the volunteers or to send a donation, go to www.philhagerty.com.