Charter fund raiser to aid housekeeper and family displaced by devastating fire

For three years Charter Club has benefited from club housekeeper Nelly Cardose's constant smile and cheeriness. Now Charter members are rallying around this woman, whom they call both a member and a friend.

On the morning of Sept. 21, a fire at Cardose's East Windsor, NJ apartment completely destroyed a section of the complex, leaving 55 residents — including Cardose, her husband, and their four children — homeless.

Though there were no deaths in the conflagration, the fire left Cardose's family without shelter, furniture or clothing. The Red Cross stepped in, helping all the affected families from Cardose's apartment building find temporary accommodations.

However, these accommodations were provided for only three days. Since then, Cardose's family has been staying at a local motel, thanks to donations of Charter Club members.

On Sunday night, Charter Club president Lindsay Michelotti '02 discussed Cardose's plight with members of the club, to which they overwhelmingly responded.

A donation sheet yielded $845, with employees contributing an additional $400 to the cause. The money has gone towards providing for the family temporarily, but the club is hoping that further donations can provide a longer-term solution for Cardose.

"Almost every club member knows her and she is always smiling as she does her daily work," Michelotti said in an e-mail. "We as the members realize how much she does for us by keeping our club in great shape and always having a smile to share when we might be stressed out or down about something."

Cardose's family is also in great need of used furniture and clothing for the four children, aged two to 16.

"When we heard that such a terrible thing had happened to Nelly and her family, we wanted to do whatever we could to try and get her back on her feet," Michelotti said. "Though this tragic event can't be erased by our donations, we hope that it will be helpful in some way."