They started a drive to help others, but congregants at a Newburgh temple now need help themselves to complete the effort.

Susan Levy and Gay Miller, congregants of Temple Beth Jacob, organized a drive to help school kids in Guatemala. Their undertaking eventually netted hundreds of pounds of clothing and other donations.

?Within two weeks, we had to tell everyone to stop. We didn't know what to do with it. It was overwhelming,? Levy said.

The organizers thought shipping the goods to Guatemala would cost hundreds of dollars, but they found the real figures far outweighed their estimates. Levy said a 40-pound box could cost anywhere from $500 to $700 to ship.

The women also have a hundred school desks and chairs they want to send Guatemalan schools. However, estimates show shipping for those items may end up costing $50,000.

Levy and Miller said they are praying for more donations, or even for a shipping company to step up and help get the goods to children who could really use them.

Related Information Send donations to:Temple Beth Jacob344 Gidney AveNewburgh, NY 12550(845) 562-5516