Neighbors On A Mission To Promote Volunteerism In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — From the Mask Squad to the Vaccine Angels to now The Volunteer Squad, this army of neighbors is continuing its mission to help the Somerset County area.

"We want to have a legacy of making an impact in the community in a positive way,"said Stacey Katz Friedlander, a Bridgewater resident and one of the founders. of The Volunteer Squad. "We brought together people in the middle of a crisis. People feel they made valuable connections and met new people. There is so much value in what we did together as a group. We need to keep this going."

When the pandemic first hit a group of Somerset County neighbors joined forces to sew as many masks as possible. Then the group switched efforts to helping residents get COVID-19 vaccine appointments. With the pandemic fading, the group didn't want their goodwill to disappear and are now channeling it in a different way.

"We wanted to stay relevant and kind of keep going off of the momentum we created with the Mask Squad and Vaccine Angels," said Friedlander. "We thought why don't we use our energy and forces to promote volunteerism but partner with other groups in the county while trying to get young people involved."

The Volunteer Squad kicked off its efforts at the end of May by partnering with the Raritan Food Pantry. The squad was able to collect donations and restock the pantry's shelves.

Now the squad is looking for volunteers to help with a number of projects including repairing and staining a deck at the Claremont Group Home in Franklin Park, or pull weeds at the Rocky Hill Group Home.

Anyone can volunteer including students. The squad has even set up a scholarship program for teens who volunteer with their group. Alex Sorensen was the first to earn the annual scholarship this year.

"As a parent, it is important for kids to give back to their community, said Friedlander. "I feel like they are missing that unless they are in Girl Scouts or Boy Scout or church. There are limited opportunities in volunteerism."

The squad is continuously looking for more organizations to help.

"We just want to put some good and kindness back out into the universe after the year we had," said Friedlander.

To learn more about the Volunteer Squad or to find out how to volunteer visit Facebook or themasksquad.com. If you can't volunteer and want to make a donation towards their volunteer efforts visit paypal.com/paypalme/TheMaskSquadNJ.

• Read More: Somerset County Folks On Mission To Sew 100K Coronavirus Masks
• Read More: Army Of 'Angels' On A Mission To Vaccinate Somerset County Folks

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