Morris County Community Center and Daycare Destroyed by Flood Gets New Lease on Life
Wayne, NJ – Packanack Cooperative Nursery School, part of the Packanack Community Church, was under nearly 7 inches of water on July 31 after flash floods raced through Northern New Jersey. The center, that is a hub of the community, was devastated. Without flood insurance, they could only count on the kindness of volunteers to come back from the event. The volunteers showed up in droves, including the team of LA Design and Construction, DeCumber Landscapers, Armando Landscaping, amongst other local companies. When the church faced its darkest hour, the community came together and the Packanack Cooperative Nursery School reopened on September 12th, less than a month and a half later.
“It was amazing. Our team and dozens of volunteers stepped up and shared their skills. With everyone’s help, the church and nursery school got back on its feet in record time. Dealing with remediation often, we were amazed at how well everything went and how fast it came together.”
Larry Steimel, LA Design and Construction
The storm hit on July 31st. The main floor of the daycare was covered by six and half inches of water. The heating system and two boilers were under five feet of water. There was $100,000 worth of damage and no flood insurance.
Parents, students, and local businesses stepped in to help. Through social media, they were able to get volunteers and donations, including a new boiler.
LA Design & Construction (LADC) is a family-owned business located in Pequannock. With over 20 years of experience in design and construction, the owners and crew knew that they could help the Packanack Community Church and the nursery school to get back to normal.
“It’s tough enough to come back from that level of devastation, even when you have all the money and resources in the world. To do it with volunteers would require some miracles and divine intervention. They got that. Between the amazing people of the community and the kindness of strangers, they were able to put it back together. Our team from LADC is proud to share the experience”
Larry Steimel Sr., LA Design and Construction
The Packanack community responded immediately. Neighborhood volunteers and local businesses, such as Armando Group Landscaping, were onsite to clean window wells, weeding, spraying the landscaping and overall general help. Parents helped to recreate cabinets, teachers cleaned up the devastation, money, gift cards, and even a new boiler were donated within weeks. The team from LADC arrived to help put finishing touches on the rebuild. For 2 days, the crew painted the nursery school classrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and the kitchen. Less than 45 days after being underwater from the July 31 flash floods, the Packanack Community Church and the Co-Op Nursery School reopened, welcoming children, worshippers, and the entire community.