Storm Relief Efforts - Adopt A Sandy Family In Need

[Gerry Zagorski]

Got a call from my daughter today. She's spent the last few days down in Union Beach trying to assist in the relief efforts bringing food and water to the shelters. She tells me that although these shelters are stockpiled with stuff, almost no one is coming to these shelters and instead are staying in their homes. So, they changed tactics and went door to door offering people food and water. Although the people are appreciative, they seem to have lots of water and canned foods but other needs not being met. They need prepared foods and want people to help them try and clean up their homes.

Knowing that there are these and probably other particular needs that are not being met, she suggested we try and organize things and try and coordinate to meet their needs. The mission will be to "Adopt A Sandy Family". We hook up those families in need with families that are willing to try and meet and coordinate those needs. Further, we concentrate our efforts in areas where there are permanent, not summer residents. We will use this site and Facebook to try and facilitate this so stay tuned here for details.

If you would like to Adopt a Sandy Family please let us know here on this thread. Once we identify the families in need you will be responsible for helping and coordinating the needs for a specific family. I know this may seem at face value to be a huge and ongoing responsibility to adopt a family. However the intention here is not to burden an adopting family with all the responsibility, but for them to act as a coordinator to let others know the needs, not try and meet them all yourself.

If any of you are in the affected areas an would like to be the coordinators to identify a certain families needs please let us know as well.

We don't want specifics (name address phone etc) on the families in need posted here for obvious reasons. Just let us know the needs in and general locations of so we can hook the families in need with the families willing to volunteer and we will coordinate this off line.

This is all work in progress and not sure if any of this will be of any help, but we have to try... If we can help one family it's worth the effort.

For those who don't feel comfortable or can't post here, Email njfishing@aol.com or if you want call me on 908-612-6995 and we will try and coordinate as best we can.

Side note..... For those in need, or know of people in need, please give us the opportunity to help. I think I speak for most, that we feel helpless and want to know how we can help you. Lets spread the burden.... A simple prayer, an extension cord, a warm meal, a generator, whatever... Please allow us the privilege of helping in some way big or small.

Let's pull through this thing together.

[tropics]

Gerry I have a Twin size bed if it will help someone they can have it.
Thanks for all you are doing.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks Richie.

[Fish Stix]

Gerry, cleaning house this week. Will have tons of clothes for sure. Brand new jeans and unworn shirts, all kinds of clothes. I'm pretty sure I have a silverware set, toaster,etc. let me know how I can help.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Will do Kris, thanks.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I heard this morning on NJ12 News that people are in need of cleaning materials like mops, buckets, sponges and bleach so keep this in mind.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Created a separate sub forum above for this.

[TomKaye]

We are blessed in that we had cosmetic damages only. 4 trees down and all narrowly missed the house. MISSED is the key word here.
Some neighbors were not so lucky and blue roof tarps are secured in our neighborhood. No water damage up here.
We lost power for 6 1/2 days but that was an inconvenience compared to others' problems.

Our son is a tenant in another house we own in Bayonne. He narrowly escaped a flash flood,and 5 1/2---6 feet of water in the basement.
We lost two furnaces, two washers, two dryers, Christmas decorations, a load of tools and miscellaneous.
Except for some priceless photo albums (my stupidity as who knew the water would go to 6 feet deep in the basement .) everything can be replaced.

My wife and I have tons of gently used clothing as we've been buying bigger sizes every so often. Some of it is unused, never unwrapped.
Shirts, pants, Suits, Sportcoats, dresses, blouses, slacks, etc... I promise, no disco outfits.
I have a Boom box/Cd player, a George Foreman grille, a crockpot, a toaster, some duplicate tools,
and not sure what else stacked in a basement closet.
( Not the wet basement. )

If you Gerry, or someone else on NJ Fishing, wants to screen and put a needy
couple or family in touch with me via PM, I'll work out details & I'll deliver to KMB, AHMM or somewhere nearby.
We used to keep a boat at both marinas for a while, and sold it this year in June. The devastation is heart-breaking.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Jersey Shore, & NJ Fishing families who were so heavily impacted by Sandy.
This too shall pass.

Tom K.
Byram, NJ

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks Tom... See post below and will be it touch if we have a match

[Boston Pete]

Thank you Gerry & all.....

I'll back in Union Beach tonight, I know a few people on my block (4th street) needed supplies. Mostly cleaning supplies, clothing and hot food. Most homes on my block have been posted with LIMITED ACCESS, means we can clean up our homes but can't live there because of the sewerage/oil.

The family on the corner has their daughter/family living with them(they were one of the homes lost). I will speak to them see if they need anything.

Thanks so mauch everyone, you don't know how much it's appreciated.