'Sea Bright Rising' Disbands

1331
By John Burton
SEA BRIGHT – Nearly four years after it started first as a way to help those helping Sea Bright in the days after Super Storm Sandy and became so much more, Sea Bright Rising is disbanding.
“The town has come a ver y long way,” with the rebuilding since that fateful Oct. 29, 2012, observed the grass- roots organization’s co- founder Chris Wood, about why it is discontinuing its work at this point.
“Sure, there’s more progress to be had, when we are compared to other towns,” Wood said, speaking of Sea Bright’s recover y. “But I think we’ve been a big success.”
With the fourth anniversary of the devastating storm approaching, the group’s organizers announced this week that Sea Bright Rising has fulfilled its mission with organizers giving up its 501(c) 3, not-for-profit tax status, leaving what work remains to other groups that have been contributing to the effort.
While operating, Sea Bright Rising had raised and distributed more than $1.6 million in cash donations, according to organizers, with that money going directly to borough residents, businesses and the borough itself, as the small oceanfront community worked to rebuild after the storm destroyed and damaged much of the area.
Yes, the organization did disperse that amount of money, but, Wood explained, when one factors in the other contributions people made, in supplies, food and in sweat equity, the total, “gets exponentially larger,” in the final tally.
The group had helped 300 displaced families with rental assistance, moving and storage expenses, obtaining new furniture and other needed home items, as well as with new Sheetrock and flooring and new clothing for those returning to their homes. The organization in addition lent its hand to 20 local businesses, helping in their rebuilding and reopening.
“From a personal, individual level, to our residents, to our overall community and to the local government,” Mayor Dina Long offered about the organization’s efforts, “it made a difference on every level.”
Along with the bigger work, Sea Bright Rising provided support to the community infrastructure by rebuilding the Ocean Avenue bus stop and providing new benches trash cans, planters, and signage.
“They’ve been an integral part of Sea Bright’s recovery,” Long said.
Wood and Peter Forlenza co-own Woody’s Ocean Grille, on Sea Bright’s Ocean Avenue/State Highway 36, in the borough’s business district. “When I first saw the devastation, I didn’t know what to do,” said Wood, viewing the storm’s damage the following day. “I was kind of shell-shocked.”
But Wood and Forlenza quickly realized “something needed to be done,” Wood said. With U.S. Army National Guard members, State Police officers, local police and scores of volunteers from around the country quickly descending on Sea Bright offering assistance, “it was important that these people had to be fed,” Wood thought. “Nothing was open in Sea Bright. For them to get something to eat, something to drink they would have to leave town,” Wood remembered. “Quite frankly, from a productivity standpoint that would be counterproductive.”
From a simple Facebook post asking for donations and volunteers to help cook and prepare meals, offering “a little refuge” for workers, Wood and Forlenza, along with Ilene Winters and Jake Gehret established what would become Sea Bright Rising which “morphed into something tremendous,” Wood said.
What made this organization different from others providing help, “It was able to be so direct, you didn’t need all the layers and take a long time to get someone help,” said Winters. “it was for the most part, if someone spoke to us on Thursday we could get them money by Saturday or even Friday.”
“Basically, this operated like a small business,” Wood maintained. “It was incredibly efficient with a lot of smart people doing a lot of good work.”
“It was a true community effort, of neighbors helping neighbors,” Winters recalled.
Sea Bright Rising eventually partnered with the New Orleans-based St. Bernard Project, a national disaster recovery organization, to continue the home rebuilding in Sea Bright and other areas in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
St. Bernard Project New Jersey will be continuing its Sandy recovery efforts.