09/09/2026
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We're back!!!
Last night was an exciting night as our team was able to move operations back into our building that had sustained some water damage from a recent storm. Huge thank you to Hopatcong Fire Department for giving us a place to stay and operate from while our volunteers worked late into the night for the last few weeks making repairs, etc. Lakeland Emergency Squad also gets our thanks for keeping us cool with a portable air conditioner while members poured blood, SWEAT and tears(from the blood) into the efforts. We held our last monthly meeting with our team in the building so we could review how far we could go with repairs based on available funds. Every penny we get goes back into our operations and we too struggle in this rough economy. Our initial plan was to repair the wall that was damaged, paint it, and move on to keep costs down. Picking a paint color for the wall turned into a fun event and after a lot of laughing at the color names, the wall and trim colors were decided - Cedar Forrest and Swiss Coffee. So now is where the early Christmas miracle comes in. Jennifer Johnson has been our emergency services liaison with the Borough Council and regularly attends our meetings. She gets that front row seat and understands what we go through on a daily basis. So, we of course dragged her into the color selection party. It takes a village to pull off large projects, right? So, after picking the colors we were lining up next steps, etc. Jennifer volunteered to pick up the paint for us. Not a political thing at all, just someone absolutely ready to jump in and help as she always does even when not on the council. The next morning, we get a message "So, you are going to get enough paint to do the whole building and not just that one wall. And you are getting a new(slightly used) couch so you can get rid of the old ones". Our members had no words to express how we felt. Jennifer rallied her family to go pick up the sectional couch (we owe the boys ice cream), and in discussions with others on what our team was going through got the Falconi and Rodriguez families to also help donate enough paint to be able to do the entirety of the inside of our quarters. Amazing generosity from members of our community to help us out. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!!! Although we still have more work to do which will include replacing the air conditioner and hopefully in the near future the flooring, the team is happy to be back home. We are always looking for volunteers (not just to spackle and paint), but can provide a life-changing and career-building experience. Visit us at www.hopatcongems.org or call (973)770-0440 and come join our team. Unable to volunteer? Consider making a tax-deductible donation. We proudly celebrate 80 years of providing emergency care to those in need around the clock and look forward to many more!
