The conditions in New Jersey and New York on 3/16 - 3/17/13

Over the 3/16/13 weekend, I traveled to Union Beach, NJ and Rockaway, NY to help in the Hurricane Sandy recovery.  It is shocking to see how much still needs to be done.  It is also encouraging to see so many volunteers associated with churches, service organizations and just individuals giving of their time to help in the relief effort.  

I know the US Congress has issued billions of dollars to put towards helping this region to recover, but what I see and what I hear on the ground, is that money is not being funneled to the blue collar working families that have been so devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  It seems this money is mainly being used for the restoration of the businesses, boardwalk and beaches located along the shoreline.  

Demolition and construction permits are slow to be issued to the homeowners. 

I hear reports that FEMA has temporary housing trailers in storage within an hour drive of this region, however, they are not being delivered because this region has been deemed by FEMA to be a flood zone, therefore the trailers cannot be placed there.  This decision results in the displaced needing to find temporary housing, often costing them as much as $1,500 per month, in addition to their mortgage and taxes for the damaged home, plus the cost of restoration.  The insurance companies have not been the most friendly and are very slow to make their pay outs, if any, to the homeowners.

I hear reports that authorities are now expecting the home owners to remove the trash being generated from the restoration on their own or face fines.

Maybe the stories I hear are not correct, but what I see is a desperate people struggling to return to a normal life and the obstacles they face are almost insurmountable.

I know there are people trying to "game" the system, both contractors and homeowners.  But I also know, there are honest people involved who willingly volunteer their time to sort through the maze and help those who are truly in need.  I personally know families who are extremely grateful for all the volunteers who take the time from their busy schedules to reach out and to help them through this dark chapters of their lives.

Food distribution being made in Union Beach, NJ.  This tractor trailer came from the churches located  Nashville, TN area.

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The following photos were taken in Breezy Point, NY.  This is where the fire occurred that destroyed over 80 homes.  FEMA and the homeowners co-op are very slow in their response to demolition and restoration applications that have been submitted.  The frustration level is very high in this community.

In the fore ground are the remaining foundations from the homes that caught fire during Hurricane Sandy.
In the distance is the last burnt out home being demolished.

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The following photos show one of the houses to be targeted for restoration.

Charlie from the Rockaway Lions Club is discussing the restoration of the house with the homeowner. This is where she is living.  She is very active in helping those in her community and has put meeting her own needs on the back burner so she can help others.  She says there are other people in worst shape than she is!!

You can tell from the body language of these two that she is resisting the help and he is telling her to deal with it.  In spite of her kicking and screaming, her house is now in the queue for restoration.

Her bath room (no tub or shower) 

Where she sleeps.

She has accepted the fact that she will be receiving help. 

Her house is one of about a dozen the Christiana Lions Club will be working on. All that is needed are volunteers to show up and lend a hand.

If you are interested in joining in this effort, The Christiana Lions Club leaves from the Dutchway parking lot in Christiana, PA almost every Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 am. Please contact Jim Groff at 610.636.2612 for further information and details.

 Dale Groff 3/19/13

Update on the Daycare in Rockaway

On Sunday, 3/17/13, Jim Groff and I traveled to Rockaway, NY to continue working on the Daycare project. The focus of day was to finish the trim work around the doors.  As you can see in the photos, the property owner, with the help of his father, has made tremendous strides in continuing with the restoration of the facilities since our last trip.  The goal is to have this facility finished and ready for opening by 3/30/13.  See my previous blogs documenting where they were a month ago.

The daycare lost everything when Hurricane Sandy hit.  The word is being put out to the Lancaster County community that they need children's books, toys, furniture and supplies to restock the operation.  The Christiana Lions Club is coordinating this effort and is receiving these items at the Christiana Borough Building. The Lions will personally deliver them to Rockaway on 3/30/13.  If you have items for donation, please contact Jim Groff at 610.636.2612 to make arrangements.

The daycare owner, Roan, installed the kitchen cabinets.

Jim giving the "how to" instructions to Roan on how to measure, cut and install door trim.

During the past month, Roan and his father finished sanding the spackling, painted the walls and installed the Plexiglass in the office and infant room.

The next project is to clean up the outside.  On the other side of the house is where the play ground for the daycare is located.

This daycare is definitely located in an urban area.  This photo is taken from the front porch showing the subway station that takes daily commuters into NYC.  The landing pattern for JFK Airport is directly over this street with the jets flying very low overhead.

Dale Groff 3/19/13

Helping Bobbie

On Saturday, 3/16/13, I traveled to Union Beach, NJ with Steve Mann, David Cole and my brother, Jim Groff, to help Bobbi recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. We picked up where the previous volunteers left off, spending the day removing the existing kitchen cabinets, installing new ones, hooking up the sink and finish hanging the drywall in the dining room and bathroom.

We talked to her son, Guy, about his mother and her experiences during Hurricane Sandy and since.

He shared that his parents lived in their house for over 40 years.  During that time, there was one flood occurrence.  In that event the water rose to just above the first floor level getting the carpet wet.

In the early fall of 2012, his parents upgraded the house and put in a new kitchen.  They heard the weather forecast about a storm coming, but decided to remain at the house during the storm.  Their house is not located near the water and felt confident this storm would not effect them too seriously.

When Sandy came, the storm surge started to come in.  Guy drove to his parents to check up on them.  The roads were becoming flooded as he drove there.  By the time he arrived to their street, the water was over the truck hood.  He got out the truck and walked to their house.  By the time he got to the house, the water was up to his neck.  There was 2 feet of water in the house.  He found his parents on the second floor level.  In another hour, the water rose an additional 2 feet.  They had no choice but to ride out the storm and pray for the best outcome.  Emergency services at that time were not available for a rescue. They survived, but the house took a big hit.

After hearing Guy retell of their story, Bobbi shared that her husband died two weeks ago.  To say the least, she is hurting. We could see the look of despair in her eyes.

Since the storm, the St. John's United Methodist Church in Hazlet, NJ and the Lions Club of Middletown, NJ, met with Bobbi and her husband to determine if the house was damaged beyond repair.  After it was decided to rehabilitate the house, the church and Lions focused on raising what funds they could and started coordinating the volunteer work crews from multiple states to assist them in cleanup and the long process of rehabilitation.

The four of us felt honored to be able to contribute our small role in helping Bobbi get through this dark chapter in her life.

A beautiful porch being used for storage and work area.

Steve, with the help Glen from NJ, took charge in removing the old cabinets (which were installed just weeks prior to Sandy), installing the new ones and finally hooking up the sink.  

Dave and I hung drywall in the dining room and bathroom while Jim spackled and gave advice on "how-to" when issues came up.

This was what Bobbi's bathroom looked like when we arrived on site.....

......and when we left.  Another step towards getting Bobbi's life back to normal.

Dale Groff 3/19/13

Photos from the 2/23/13 and 2/24/13 relief effort at NY and NJ shore

On 2/23/13, I traveled with my brother, Jim Groff of the Christiana (PA) Lions Club and others from Lancaster County to Rockaway, NY to continue the rehab work at a private daycare facility.  Nine volunteers spent the day working beside the owner spackling drywall.  The goal is for the daycare to get their certification reactivated and opened for business by the end of March.  The flood from Hurricane Sandy destroyed all their equipment and supplies. The Christiana Lions are talking to the Daycare owner to determine their needs to restock the daycare with the needed supplies and equipment.

Some photos of the Rockaway project.

Property owner worked hard for several months and beside the volunteers to get his wife's daycare up and running again.

A lot of drywall was previously hung and ready for the next step.  We went through (4) five gallon buckets of spackling on 2/23/13.

 

The future baby and toddler's rooms

The Christiana Lions joining the Rockaway Lions to rehab the private daycare.

Mennonite Disaster Services (from Lancaster County) set up temporary housing and portable showers for use by volunteers who are helping in the rehabilitation process on Long Island.

Portable bath and showers with men / women accommodations.

Distribution site for food, water and clothes still needed.

Thanks to the Quarryville Food Bank, food was distributed by the Christiana Lions to residents living in Rockaway, NY

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On Sunday, 2/24/13, the Christiana Lions returned to the Union Beach, NJ area to continue rehabilitation of two private residences.  The goal is to get these properties to the point the property owners can get out of their rentals and back into their homes before the end of March.  The carpet and painting will be left for summer. 

Laying sub flooring for tile.

Shower in, sub flooring finished

Laying sub flooring in the laundry area.

Preparing the plumbing for the kitchen sink.

Washer and dryer hooked up and running.

One of seven houses waiting for volunteers to start the rehab process.  This is very typical.  Looks good on the outside, but inside.....

Gutted.....

There are volunteers from Ohio starting the reconstruction at this house, but will be returning home by the end of March.  The Christiana Lions will pick up where they leave off.

There are currently three types of scenarios in this region....the fix up, the lift up and the walk away.  The local Lions in the region are meeting with the affected property owners to determine their housing needs, financial abilities and qualifying each one for volunteer assistance.  

There are work crews meeting at the Christiana Dutchway parking lot and traveling to New York and New Jersey almost every Saturday and Sunday.  Every skill level, from no experience to all types of trades (electrical, plumbing, roofers, carpenters, drywall hangers, etc) can be put to work. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at 717.203.0920 or inthegapforshore@gmail.com

Dale Groff  3/2/13

Jersey Shore Work Weekend, 2/23/13 and 2/24/13

The recovery effort along the Jersey / New York coast line continues.

The next work weekend I am planning to participate in will be 2/23/13 (Saturday) and 2/24/13 (Sunday).  Once again, I will be joining my brother, Jim Groff and the Christiana Lions, to help with the recovery sites they are involved in.  

We have concentrated our efforts on several homes over the past several weeks and hope to get these homes to the point the owners will soon be able to move back into them.  This means the walls won't be painted or carpet laid, but the homeowners can get out of the rentals they have been living in since the storm and return to their home to start to get back to a "somewhat normal" life.  

We are in weekly contact with the New Jersey team that is on the ground there and know the people and their situations. They have already prequalified many homes for repair, based on the homeowners needs and the damaged sustained.   Each week we notify them how many volunteers are coming to work the following weekend and the skills that come along with them.  The New Jersey team then co-ordinates with the homeowners to have the necessary material available on site when the day arrives.

There is a need for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, trim workers, tile installers, cabinet installers, siding installers, roofers and, of course, "helping" hands.  We will be placed where our ability best fits the need.

I need to get a head count of those able to join us for either day or both so we know how much work we can anticipate to get done.  

Housing and motel rooms in that region are still at a premium right now, so we will not staying overnight.  We will be returning to Gap at the end of the day on Saturday and driving back to the work sites on Sunday. That is a pain, but until we can line up someplace to bed down for the night, we'll be running back and forth.

Meals are not provided.  Hand tools are not provided.  Let me know if you can provide transportation, a pickup or van.  We will get as many in as few vehicles as feasible.

The drive takes about 2 hours and fifteen minutes from Gap to where we will be working.

Remember, this is a long term effort to help get those affected by the storm to get back into their homes.  So if you are unable to join us for the 23th or 24th, there are work crews making the trip almost every weekend.  For myself, I am scheduling at least one weekend a month to help in this effort.

If you are interested in joining in the effort, please contact me at inthegapforshore@gmail.com.

Thanks
Dale Groff

Rehab in Union Beach, NJ

Last Saturday and Sunday, I made my first trip to the Jersey shore to help restore a home that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy which hit the New York region on October 29, 2012.

The property owner we were working with cannot live in this house.  So they have been living elsewhere for almost 3 months now.  This is very typical for thousands of property owners in this region.  That means either living in a motel room, a rented apartment, with family or sometimes in the car.  The government has provided a check for a couple of months of rent, but that does not last forever.  For most, that money has been spent.  Also, remember, most property owners are still required to make mortgage payments on a home they cannot live in.  This is a very difficult situation for thousands of people.

Five of us met at 6:30 am on Saturday at the Dutchway parking lot in Christiana to travel to Union Beach. The task was to replace flooring, insulate and hang drywall in a house owned by a single mom..  We worked all day, returning 10:00 pm that night.  We would have stayed in the area, but motels are filled with the displaced from the region.

My brother, Jim and I returned on Sunday to continue the work.

Late Sunday afternoon, we met with Bill Bechtoldt.  Bill belongs to the Middletown Lions Club and is a member of the St. John's United Methodist Church in Hazlet, NJ.  What a workhorse with a big compassionate heart.  Along with his wife, Gail, they have been working nonstop ever since the storm hit to help those affected.

There are four options the typical homeowner has to choose from.  1) Fix up, 2) raise, 3) demolish and start over or 4) give up and walk away.

Bill's current focus is to find eligible homes and coordinate with the many volunteers in his database who are  willing to spend their time in this effort and places them at a location that matches the skill with the need.

He looks for damaged homes can be fixed up but the owners can not afford to do so. He has identified many homes that meet this criteria.


One weekend, Bill had over 1,000 volunteers working in 75 homes.

Jim has been working with Bill for weeks taking volunteers from Pennsylvania to perform the rehabs.

It will be months, if not years to finish this effort and get everyone back into their homes.

On Sunday, Bill took us to the surrounding areas to see the extent of the damage in the region.  We drove through Monmouth Hill, Highlands, Navesink, Middletown and Sea Bright.  We saw street after street where homes appeared to be ok on the exterior, but were completely destroyed on the interior from the flood waters.  We saw homes that were washed hundreds of feet from their foundation.  Bill told us there were thousands of unlivable homes in this area alone.  This doesn't include Long Island, Staton Island in New York.

There will be many trips made to this region on Saturdays and Sundays. The homes have been identified and are ready and waiting for someone to lend a hand.  There is something for everyone to do who has the time. If you are interested in participating, let me know what you can do, when you can do it and we'll make it happen.

Dale Groff
inthegapforshore@gmail.com

Cleaning out and fixing up Marcy's home

Jim and Shawna spackling drywall

Cutting out the flooring.

The bathroom is insulated.  Floor ready to be replaced.

Floors replaced, drywall installed.

Bathroom drywall and flooring in place.

The work crew 

Elam, Tom, Glenn, Shawna and Dale.  Jim taking the picture.

One of hundreds of houses to be demolished.

Raising this house 8 feet, to above future flood levels.

1/19/13 and 1/20/13 - work weekend for Hurricane Sandy relief

1/7/2013

I mentioned in my previous blog that we made contact with NJ Strong, a non-profit organization, coordinating the volunteer efforts to clean up homes affected by Hurricane Sandy along the New Jersey shore.  They are hard at work almost every weekend and now have about 70 homes cleaned out.  However, those homes are not ready for reconstruction yet for various reasons.

So on 1/19/13 (Saturday) and 1/20/13 (Sunday),  I am joining up with my brother, Jim Groff and the Christiana Lions, and heading to the Jersey shore to help them with the recovery sites they are involved in.  They have made the trip, I believe, 6 weekends now.

There are several homes we will be targeting.  They are in various stages of repair and reconstruction.  We will need carpenters, electricians, tile installers, cabinet installers, and "helping" hands.  We will be placed where our ability best fits the need.

I need to get a head count of who is able to join us for either day or both so we know how much work we can anticipate to get done.  Based on the makeup of the crew, we will line up the construction material we anticipate needing so it will be on site for when we arrive.

Housing and motel rooms in that region are at a premium right now, so we are not staying overnight. We will be returning to Gap at the end of the day on Saturday and driving back to the work sites on Sunday. That is a pain, but until we can line up someplace to bed down for the night, we'll be running back and forth.

Meals are not provided.  Hand tools are not provided.  Let me know if you can provide transportation, a pickup or van.  We will get as many in as few vehicles as feasible.

The drive takes about 2 hours and fifteen minutes from Gap to where we will be working.

Remember, this is a long term effort to help get those affected by the storm to get back into their homes.  So if you are unable to join us for the 19th or 20th, there will be other weekends coming up.  I would like to schedule at least one weekend a month to help in this effort.

If you are interested in joining us for either 1/19 or 1/20, or future weekends to be determined, please contact me at inthegapforshore@gmail.com.

Thanks
Dale Groff