Displaced Families Living On Conn. Church Grounds Getting Back On Their Feet
NEW MILFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - Superstorm Sandy evacuees from Staten Island and Queens given a place to live for the past year by a church in New Milford, Conn. are moving on.
As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, almost three dozen Sandy evacuees have been living on the Faith Church property.
Pastor Frank Santora said after town officials gave the OK, friends and volunteers pitched in to provide 650 square-foot mobile homes for the displaced families.
Displaced Families Living On Conn. Church Grounds Getting Back On Their Feet
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation installed the mobile homes on the 40-acre church property.
"They're beautiful. They were brand new. we gave it to them fully furnished and with everything in it that you need to live," Santora told Schneidau. "They have worked out deals and opportunities for them to purchase the homes for really, really cheap prices and to have the homes moved to a new location."
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The transition for displaced families off of church grounds and into a new location is expected to take months but they face a Dec. 31 deadline to find a new place to settle.
Pastor Santora said the families have worked for the past year to get back on their feet. He said that most have regained employment as well as self-confidence.
"Hopefully they'll all move on to something better in the future," said Santora.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation launched a Sandy relief fund right after the storm hit to help hard-hit communities.
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