The Asbury Park Press wrote an article on the OCLTRG hosted RREM workshops. The article highlights the hazards of navigating the RREM process, as well as the benefits of having the OCLTRG by your side to help you through the process.
If you haven’t made it out to one of our workshops, there are two upcoming opportunities on Dec. 6th (Toms River) and Dec. 9th (Manahawkin). For details and to register, call 732-569-3484.
Is hosting RREM Workshops to help homeowners in Ocean County understand and navigate the State’s RREM Program and how the OCLTRG may be able to assist.
Tuesday November 11th 6:30pm – Manahawkin
Saturday November 15th 10am – Brick
If you are interested in attending a workshop please call 732-569-3484.
Registration is required.
workshop attendees have said………….
“So glad I came here tonight; absolutely enlightening…”
“I learned more in 2 hours that I did in 2 years….”
“Thanks for providing clarity. I feel I can start to move forward now…”
October 29, 2014
Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group Celebrates Sandy 2 Year Anniversary
Volunteers alongside First Lady Mary Pat Christie and representatives from the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and A Future with Hope at a private residence in Toms River
Toms River, NJ – A collaborative effort to help get a family home for the holidays took place today in Ocean County. First Lady Mary Pat Christie joined representatives from the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG), the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and A Future with Hope to celebrate the near completion of the home of Toms River residents Charles and Angelina Lorenzo. Volunteers and several members of the press came to watch and participate in the commemoration which included a few brief speeches from key representatives, a tour of the house and even a little painting done by the First Lady.
The Lorenzos, along with their three children, have been displaced since SuperStorm Sandy hit two years ago. Though they initially were able to stay with relatives, the Lorenzo family has been in a rental across town for nearly two years. Because of the distance Angie had to quit her job in order to drive her kids to and from school each day. The financial burden placed on the Lorenzos because of the storm caused them to turn to the OCLTRG for help. Having been through the gamut of programs available, Sarah Ruane, their Disaster Case Manager at the OCLTRG, commented that “this family’s a good example of people…who have done everything right, but they just didn’t receive enough funding to be able to finish the project on their own, and that was when they reached out to us. They just needed that…extra push.”
With the help of Sarah, the Lorenzos were able to access resources from many different partner organizations they wouldn’t otherwise have known were available. Through a partnership with A Future with Hope, the OCLTRG was able to decrease the costs of rebuilding through volunteer labor. Over 2,300 hours, which equates to approximately $65,000, were put in by over 100 volunteers from such groups as the Nebraska Synod, the Karitas Foundation, McDonaldsville United Methodist Church, Zion United Methodist Church, Christ United Methodist Church-Bethel, Sparta UMC, First Presbyterian Church – Bloomsburg, Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church, Canfield Presbyterian Church, Lend-A-Hand, North Lancaster Conference (of the United Methodist Church), the Brethren and the Christian Public Service (Mennonites).
Charles, who himself joined alongside the volunteers and worked on the house as often as he could, reflected on the journey: “Everyone with the OCLTRG including our Disaster Case Manager and Project Coordinator, from our original contact to the present, have been a blessing to our family and give us our ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’ The new volunteers we get to meet each week are such awesome people, and their smiles really help us keep going.”
“Collaboratively we are all working together to help our communities recover,” noted Sue Marticek, Executive Director of the OCLTRG. “I truly feel that the key to this recovery is in our relationships, and I am so thankful to have [the many different] organizations walking side by side down this bumpy road of recovery.”
October 14, 2014
Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group Reaches $2 Million Distribution Mark
Assists Hundreds of Ocean County Residents
Toms River, NJ – The Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) and its partner agencies are proud to announce $2 million has been committed to Ocean County residents affected by Superstorm Sandy. This was accomplished through the OCLTRG facilitated Unmet Needs Table—a partnership of agencies, which is comprised of the OCLTRG, OceanFirst Foundation, United Way of Ocean County, Salvation Army, Homes for All, A Future with Hope and Lutheran Social Ministries, who review and seek to meet the remaining needs of residents after all other avenues of assistance have been pursued. Major funders of the OCLTRG include the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, American Red Cross and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Between July 2013 and the end of April 2014, the Unmet Needs Table committed their first $1 million to clients in Ocean County. Between May 2014 and the end of September 2014, the Unmet Needs Table committed their second million dollars, bringing the total of client cases helped to 241.
OCLTRG has also coordinated volunteers from across the country to assist in the recovery effort. Since inception, 750 volunteers have put in 14,500 hours of work on 60 homes vetted by disaster case managers from the OCLTRG or one of its partner agencies. The value of this volunteer work is approximately $400,000.
The need for volunteers is expected to increase as the NJ State Grant Program (RREM) works more and more closely with the Long Term Recovery Groups and substantial repair and rebuild projects move through the pipeline. OCLTRG seeks volunteers, both locally and from the nationwide base of adult and youth mission trips, who will generously share their skills and help with Sandy recovery.
The Christie Administration announced on Wednesday, October 1st that it would be holding several workshops along the shore to answer questions about the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program. All sessions will be held from 4-7 PM at the following locations:
RREM applicants who have any questions–from navigating the rebuilding process to deciphering their newly approved grant to checking the status of their application–are encouraged to come. To read more and get location details, go to http://www.state.nj.us/dca/news/news/2014/approved/20141001.html.
As more and more stories pour in claiming contractor fraud, Sandy victims need to be more cautious than ever. Contractors have been accused of accepting money from victims without completing the project. This leaves our victims without a contractor and possibly out hundreds of thousands of dollars. The OCLTRG wants to make sure this doesn’t happen to any more members of our community. Here are some tips to follow from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs:
Source: Willis, David P. “Contractors face $1.3M in fines, consumer restitution.” Observer Reporter 24 July 2013: A8. Print.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of Sandy Contractor Fraud, please follow the steps posted by the state’s Statewide Sandy Fraud Working Group (link below):
http://nj.gov/oag/ca/stopsandyfraud/
The OCLTRG is hosting its first Preparedness/COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) meeting. Collectively we have gained both best practices and lessons learned from our response to Sandy as well as in our recovery efforts so far. We would like to capitalize on this knowledge and work together to foster better communication, coordination, and collaboration that will result in providing more effective services to people affected by disaster.
What: Preparedness…/ COAD meeting When: Friday June 27th 9:30 am Where: Presbyterian Church, 1070 Hooper Ave, Toms River (Park and enter in the back) RSVP: smarticek@oceancountyltrg.org
“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford
We’re super excited to let you know that we’re part of the OceanFirst Charity Challenge. This year, OceanFirst Foundation will surpass an important milestone – with more than $25 million invested in the community and Jersey Shore nonprofits and schools.
To celebrate this achievement, OceanFirst Foundation is launching the OceanFirst Charity Challenge and giving away $15,000 in grand prize Challenge grants and weekly $500 Good Neighbor Grants to support the work of their charity partners. First place will get a $10,000 grand prize Challenge Grant from OceanFirst Foundation. Second place gets $3,000 and third gets $2,000. We’re out to raise as much money as possible for our cause so we can with that $10,000 grand prize Challenge grant.
All it takes is a quick donation – the charity with the most donations on May 9, 2014 will be awarded the grant, just think of the impact we could make with those additional funds!
To help now, please Click Here and give whatever you can.
Or, if you want to go one step further, Go Here and click ‘Create Your Fundraiser.’ In seconds, you’ll have your own fundraiser that you can share with your family, friends and social media contacts so that you can raise money for our cause too.
Job Title: Community Outreach Coordinator (Temporary Assignment/PT)
Reports to: Project Director
Basic Function:
Works with the Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) leadership and volunteer committees (i.e. Case Management, Unmet Needs, Volunteer Management and donations) to assist the Ocean County community in its recovery from a disaster. The Community Outreach Coordinator must network with key constituencies within the assigned region and continuously develop new ways to increase the community’s awareness of OCLTRG and the recovery resources available to households through OCLTRG. The Community Outreach Coordinator may be the first point of contact for households impacted by disaster and therefore must be able to communicate well, share information, collaborate and coordinate activities with other OCLTRG staff. Their primary purposes are to have a high-touch presence at key locations where households might seek help, provide information about the LTRG to these households, and where applicable, complete a simple initial intake/exchange of information with households that express a need for help.
Specific Responsibilities:
– All local Government Council, Planning Board and other key municipal meetings
– Governor’s Mobile Cabinet Meetings
– School Board, Superintendent and PTO Meetings
– Chamber of Commerce Meetings/Expos
– Food Pantry/Emergency Relief Sites (with a focus on high-volume locations)
– All Faith-Based Organizations (including staffing informational tables at worship services)
– Local Business Association Meetings
– Service Club Meetings (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)
– All Local Governments
– Local Schools
– Chambers of Commerce
– Food Pantry/Emergency Relief Sites (with a focus on high-volume locations)
– All Faith-Based Organizations (Including informational tables at worship services)
– Local Businesses
– Service Clubs and Organizations
Qualifications:
REMINDER
The Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group General Meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, March 6, 2014, 10:00 am at the Toms River ELKS located at 600 Washington Street, Toms River.