NJ Hope and Healing Continues Work a Year After Sandy

COURT HOUSE – One year ago, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a skilled and compassionate group of local professionals answered the call to quickly train and begin working in the storm-affected communities to help individuals cope with and recover from the effects of the disaster.
Called New Jersey Hope and Healing, FEMA trained and funded the team, which was approved to work in 10 counties. The Mental Health Association in New Jersey, which has an office in Galloway, applied for and received grant money to implement New Jersey Hope and Healing in Cape May and Atlantic Counties.
“Sandy was a super storm – like no other. The task before us was of enormous magnitude. You don’t have time to think about that size responsibility.” said Jaime Angelini, regional team leader for New Jersey Hope and Healing, Cape May and Atlantic Counties. “You just know that the work you are going to do is some of the most important of your life.”
In the first days and weeks after the disaster, counselors met with survivors in storm-affected neighborhoods, churches, retail establishments and community centers. Counselors provided hope and encouragement to survivors, as well as direction on where and how to apply for FEMA assistance. In the local Disaster Resource Centers, the counselors were also stationed to meet with individuals who needed help. New Jersey Hope and Healing hired bi-lingual counselors who could assist survivors by translating while applied for FEMA assistance. These counselors were key to the recovery efforts in ethnically diverse neighborhoods where they outreached.
When the water receded, counselors could begin working in communities going door-to-door to offer support. They provided information on where food banks and local churches were providing daily necessities of food and clothing. They also were sharing phone numbers to link residents to Red Cross, Disaster SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Disaster Unemployment, Habitat for Humanity, and AmeriCorps, which provided muck out, clean up, debris removal and general labor tasks.
During the months following the storm, the New Jersey Hope and Healing team worked closely with local organizations that were supporting survivors in order to link them to social services and financial resources. These included Atlantic City Long Term Recovery Group, the Atlantic County Long Term Recovery Group, Atlantic County REVIVE, Brig Strong and Hooked on Ventnor.
“For months, Hope and Healing counselors canvassed side by side with volunteers from the Long Term Recovery Group to identify families in need of critical repairs,” recalled Angelini. “Many were identified and received assistance from Habitat for Humanity.”
As the government rolled out federal grants, counselors also spread the word and met with survivors who needed help with filing related paperwork.
Though New Jersey Hope and Healing originally was intended for 60 days, the great and growing need in the state precipitated an extension of services. Currently the program is projected to continue until Feb. 14.
“Some people have recovered, but there is still a large survivor community,” according to Angelini. “In the early phase, the storm was the big news story. Now, a year later, some people say to you, ‘You’re still working on that storm thing?’ Yes, need still exists. There are people who still aren’t back in their homes. There are a few families still living in hotels. There are neighborhoods with abandoned homes. People are still in the grant application process and waiting for word. People are still fighting with their insurance companies.”
In the past year, the counselors – 18 in Atlantic County and 8 in Cape May County – met with survivors at tables set up tables in malls, supermarkets, municipal meetings, hardware stores, housing forums, rental fairs, as well as the governor’s mobile cabinet meetings and community centers to do the important work of outreach and education. In addition, counselors formed support groups and made presentations to give survivors opportunities to share information, find resources, and learn ways to cope with the aftermath of the storm.
In an effort to reach children who were affected by the storm and raise awareness about New Jersey Hope and Healing, several members of the Atlantic County team developed Small Sandy Survivors, a interactive program that was offered through PAL, recreation leagues, community centers, and most recently the county park and recreation departments.
According to data collected by the program, the New Jersey Hope and Healing team in Atlantic County made contact with more than 13,400 individuals and distributed 46,000 printed materials. To put that number in perspective, 22,178 individuals made application to FEMA, according to FEMA’s program summary dated September 2013. (In Cape May County, 8,200 personal or phone contacts were made and 66,900 materials were distributed.)
With the anniversary date of the storm approaching, the counselors are preparing for an anticipated spike in need.
“The anniversary date and holidays are milestones that magnify emotions,” says Angelini, recalling words from a recent training. “There are survivors who will pause and say, ‘Look how far I’ve come.’ And, there are those who will stop and think about how they haven’t made the progress they thought they would. What you hope for all survivors is the day when the hurricane becomes a story in their life, not the story of their life.”
“The recovery of this area is of paramount importance – for the people who live and work here, for visitors, for old and new neighborhoods, for the economy, for all the reasons that make the shore a great place to live and vacation,” said Angelini.
The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County has been serving residents for more than 50 years. It is pleased and proud to have been part of the storm recovery efforts.
“Disasters like Sandy can damage more than just property; people can lose their spirit. That’s why restoring survivors’ emotional and psychological balance is a fundamental factor in rebuilding New Jersey,” New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez said. She credited the dedication of the counselors from NJ Hope and Healing as a vital part of the state’s recovery.