Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today marked National Volunteerism Month by joining volunteers affiliated with A Future with Hope, Inc. in Keansburg to help rebuild a home that was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy. The Lt. Governor, along with members of the New Jersey Governor's Office on Volunteerism, also took time to recognize the remarkable overall efforts of New Jersey's 1.6 million volunteers who serve New Jersey's communities.
"Since Sandy struck the Garden State nearly 18 months ago, the recovery and rebuilding process continues for many communities across New Jersey," said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. "Organizations like A Future with Hope are truly invaluable, and will continue to be an integral part of the recovery process during National Volunteer Month and throughout the year. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of volunteers, countless families have returned home to a sense of comfort and normalcy once again. I wanted to thank them personally for their continued service to Sandy victims statewide."
A Future With Hope, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by the United Methodist Church (UMC) to assist survivors of Superstorm Sandy by providing them with disaster case management and professional and volunteer construction services. A Future with Hope is now working collaboratively in 10 counties with Long Term Recovery Groups and other partner agencies to help survivors rebuild their homes and their lives. According to Director Bobbie Ridgely, A Future with Hope to date has had a total of 5,764 volunteers contribute 117,005 service hours.
The home the Lt. Governor Guadagno and A Future with Hope volunteers worked on rebuilding today was vacated by a father and his teenage son. During Sandy, the home flooded with water and the two were forced to seek refuge in their attic overnight. They now rent a place to live in another town and are looking forward to returning their home. Thus far, the efforts of A Future With Hope have helped rebuild 36 homes and are currently working on 51 others.
As of March 20, 2014, New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), which is responsible for logging total state volunteerism efforts, reported that 209,148 volunteers from New Jersey and across America have served 1,452,320 hours with non-profit groups since the beginning of Sandy recovery. This service, in turn, is estimated to have a total dollar value exceeding $41 million.
People interested in seeking volunteerism opportunities in New Jersey, or who simply wish to learn more about the efforts of the Governor's Office Volunteerism, are encouraged to visit Volunteerism.NJ.gov.
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