Low local turnout at Hurricane Sandy relief event hosted by U.

Local residents affected by Hurricane Sandy took advantage of the University’s electricity, heating and wireless Internet access during a reception hosted by the Pace Center for Civic Engagement in the Friend Center on Thursday.

More than 100 students signed up to volunteer, but not more than a few town residents concurrently used the convocation room, where the reception was being held, in the morning.

Around 12 p.m., Pace Center student leader Marlene Morgan ’13, who helped coordinate student volunteers for the event, sent an email to students who had signed up informing them that there was no need for more volunteers.

More than 75 percent of homes in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township lost power in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, according to local officials. The University is now completely dependent on its cogeneration plant for power, because it is not receiving much power from the public grid.

The local residents who came mainly used the reception to charge electronics and access the Internet. Director of Community and Regional Affairs Kristin Appelget greeted incoming residents and took down the email addresses of student volunteers so they could be contacted for future volunteer opportunities.

Appelget said the idea for the event came from Princeton Borough officials who asked for a place for residents to charge phones and other electronics. The Borough provided supplies needed for the effort throughout the day, while the University supplied the room with heat and power.

As of noon, there were three residents in the room and a handful of apples and fruit snacks.

“I have no power, no electricity, no heat,” Borough resident Larry Filler said. “A couple of trees fell on our cars.”

Filler said he was thankful for the assistance offered by some of his neighbors who had their own generators, noting that they let him use their showers and stoves.

“I’m just here because there’s light and heat and power,” Borough resident Pat Hyatt said.

Morgan helped plan student involvement for the event with fellow Pace Center student leader and senior class president Zach Beecher ’13 and Pace Center assistant director Elsie Sheidler while off campus. She said she could not assess the situation until she arrived later in the day Thursday.

“There are an amazing number of student volunteers and we planned the event so quickly there wasn’t really time to ensure there would be enough for students to do,” Morgan said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

A signup link sent out to students by class governments and college listservs on Wednesday night, as well as a Facebook event publicized the event to students. Morgan said this volunteer response was the greatest to a single event she had ever seen.

“We’re planning a lot of other events for this weekend and next week,” Morgan said. “We’re planning to work with organizations in Princeton and Trenton and maybe the Jersey Shore, even.”