From Devastation, Compassion

Colts Neck volunteers come through for neighbors in Union Beach.

Miles to Go: Aerial view of the Union Beach cleanup, two months after Hurricane Sandy battered the little Raritan Bay home.
Photo by Debra l. Rothenberg/Getty Images

Union Beach is a small community of modest, single-family homes—many of which are primary residences. Located on the Raritan Bay between Keyport and Keansburg, Union Beach was ravaged in October 2012 by Hurricane Sandy. The superstorm wrecked some 270 homes and damaged hundreds of others, while also battering businesses, schools and municipal facilities.

As in other hard-hit Shore towns, Union Beach residents are still swamped in the complexity and confusion of applying for FEMA relief, insurance payments and potential loans and grants. Many residents have given up on being compensated.

Yet from this devastation, extraordinary stories of volunteerism have arisen. These stories range from isolated tales of heroism to ongoing community efforts such as that undertaken by Operation Provide Comfort (OPC), a Colts Neck-based volunteer organization aiding the recovery in Union Beach.

“Operation Provide Comfort enlists private donations, community organizations and corporations to provide materials or funds to rebuild homes,” says Lieutenant Colonel James Sfayer. A Colts Neck resident and retired U.S. Marine, Sfayer conceived of OPC to help his neighbors eight miles to the north. The group has developed a strong network of volunteers and supporters, raising more than $62,000 for the relief effort through events and donations. Sfayer says 100 percent of funds raised goes to Union Beach. “I have actually turned away sponsors that refused to agree to 100 percent,” he says. “And we expect the partnership to go on for years. It’s not a short-term project.”

Sfayer’s team meets every two weeks with the leaders of Union Beach to discuss the town’s needs. If someone needs Sheetrock or heating fuel, OPC will cut a check for it. The key, says Sfayer, is providing homeowners with what they actually need. It’s a simple yet profound approach. OPC, through the generosity of team members Wade Martin and Chris Placitella, also has provided legal assistance and logistics support to build pre-manufactured, hurricane-proof, solar-powered homes to replace the homes that were demolished. “It took us awhile, but the community affairs group from Monmouth County now has approved these houses to be built.” The contracts have been signed and the homes are underway.

OPC relies on dedicated volunteers like Jim Davis, a Colts Neck resident who got involved along with his twin brother and his twin daughters. “In the beginning, we were sweeping sand away from the drains so they didn’t get clogged, but I knew I wanted to do more,” says Davis. “I found the best thing to do was to get aligned with the paid contractors and builders that were doing the work, whether restoring a house or building a new structure from the ground up. It is really a heartening experience. I met people from all over the country that were there to help.” The work has an upside for Davis too. “You can’t believe how many friends I made from Union Beach that I wouldn’t have ever met.”

Sfayer says OPC’s targeted giving can be a model for the ongoing Sandy recovery. “You can make more impact focusing on one area rather than the whole Shore,” he says. “The partnership model speeds up a town’s recovery and gets funds directly to the people.” He reports that volunteers in Holmdel have similarly partnered to aid Keansburg.

OPC’s partners include local churches, church-based youth groups, Cub Scouts Troop 290, Colts Neck Business Association, the Colts Neck Women’s Club and other community organizations. During the holidays, Christmas stockings and gifts were delivered to Union Beach families temporarily housed at Fort Monmouth.

OPC’s slogan—“One town can make a difference. Every town should try”—says it all. We are inspired by the compassion and commitment that these Colts Neck volunteers, and others like them, have shown for their neighbors in need.

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