Kiwanis Club of Clark Aids Family in Town
Submitted by Susan Dougherty
When the floodwaters rose from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in early September, several families in Union County were affected. The Mekkawy family, residents on Valley Road in Clark, lost their belongings and the entire home. Not only was the house and its contents destroyed, but significantly important, the wheelchair, walker, and leg braces for 13-year-old daughter Sima were gone.
A posting in “nextdoor,” a neighborhood app that includes Union County and beyond, reached one of the Kiwanis Club of Clark members, and she was moved. A mother’s plea for prayers by Mrs. Salma Mekkawy was heart-wrenching. The message read, “Please pray for us! We lost everything even my handicapped daughter’s wheelchair and walker!! Evacuated the house with our PJ’s and slippers.” The philanthropic organization that focuses on helping children, wanted to do something more than just pray. The club immediately collected money from its members and a few friends to assist the family that was being housed temporarily at the Holiday Inn in Clark. They presented Mrs. Mekkawy with a gift of $900 as well as a basket of school supplies for the children.
The Mekkawy family consists of a single mom, a teenage girl, an adult daughter who attends Union County College in Cranford, and a son who attends Carl H. Kumpf Middle School in Clark. Mrs. Mekkawy met with the Kiwanis Club of Clark’s president Cara Hund to tell of their plight. She explained that on top of it all, both she and her adult daughter lost their cars in the flood. Currently, the Mekkawy family is still residing at the Holiday Inn in Clark. Because the flooding is considered a “catastrophic weather event” their insurance company will not cover any damage to the home. “We just felt we wanted to help this mother and her children in our community as soon as we could,” Ms. Hund said.
The club plans to follow up with additional aid. For information about helping this family, contact Kiwanis Club of Clark member Susan at 732-382-5367.
