In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy left its mark on the New Jersey shore. While some were left unharmed and unaffected by the storm’s wrath, others faced great devastation. Lives were lost, attractions and homes were destroyed, and many were forced to put back together the broken pieces of their lives.

As a member of Water Watch, I often participate along with other members in volunteer activities based in working toward a healthier environment. With the occurrence of the storm, we all knew that there had to be something we could do to help. We found out about Operation Blessing, an organization involved with helping those in need, and proceeded to join in with their efforts. We discovered that a branch of the organization was being stationed in Little Egg Harbor Township and planned a trip to check things out on November 10th, 2012. Upon arriving at the branch’s base, we learned that there were numerous volunteers working together to help those who had been impacted greatly by the hurricane. The volunteers were collecting and distributing food, water, clothing and other useful items to those who had been afflicted; however this was only a small portion of the great work being done. The volunteers were traveling to destroyed homes to sort through the belongings of homeowners, remove damaged articles, and even remove structural components of homes that had been ruined. They were also providing emotional support to those whose lives had been greatly disrupted by the storm. This was amazing and we knew that we had found a way by which to participate in relief following the hurricane.

After filling out paperwork and receiving shirts with the organization’s name shown, we were given our first volunteer location. As we got closer and closer to our destination, we could see the pilings of people’s things near the curb that had been destroyed in the storm. It was absolutely unbelievable the quantity and nature of the things that had been forcedly discarded from homes. Upon arriving at the first house, it was immediately obvious that the household and all that was within it had been greatly disrupted. The entire front lawn was covered in garbage bags, boxes, furniture, carpets, tiles, drywall, lighting fixtures, and plenty more. Contained within this mess was not only the sorts of things most people would have, but also unique items of sentimental value. These were items that held important memories, and now they were destroyed and having to be dragged from homes to be picked up for disposal. Upon taking my first steps into the house, I could see that the inside had been completely destroyed. The support beams and foundation were all that remained within the interior of the home. We continued with the work being done by clearing out the remaining waterlogged items. In another house, I was literally given the task to tear out walls and the insulation behind them. It felt odd to help others by taking their homes apart, but this was necessary. At both locations, we spent a significant amount of time speaking with the residents. It is impossible to express how devastated they were by the situation; however, they were also incredibly grateful for the assistance of the volunteers.

This experience really opened my eyes to how badly people were impacted by the storm and along with others I am compelled to continue providing assistance to those in need. I would strongly recommend to others that they join in on efforts to provide relief to those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy.