West Windsor residents Wendy Schutzer, Kristina Bixby, and Samantha Pellichero recently returned from Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, a hurricane disaster response center for communities along the Gulf Coast. Joining with members of three area Lutheran churches including Prince of Peace, they helped with food, supplies, clean-up, and re-construction.##M:[more]##
Schutzer runs the Cherry Tree Club at Prince of Peace, a free pre-school program for children of Mercer County homeless families. Bixby and Pellichero are students at High School South.
“It was a truly wonderful experience, and I, as well as other participants, are already trying to discern when and how we can return,” says Schultzer. “The Mississippi Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina; it looks like a war zone — even one year later.”
A typical day began at 7:15 a.m. with breakfast and ended at 10 p.m. with lights out. In between they worked at housing sites.
Schutzer, a West Windsor resident for 20 years, lives with her husband Michael, and two children, Brad, 17, and Johanna, 13. A member of Prince of Peace for 20 years, she has been director of Cherry Tree Club for 11 years. This was her first time on a rescue mission.
For more information about the Mission Club Trip contact Reverend Paul Lutz at Princeton of Peace (www.popnj.org)