In the Youth Temple, their base of operations in Ocean Grove, volunteers prepare donated clothes and food for distribution to disaster victims.
Text and photos by Mary Walton
After establishing a base in the Camp Meeting Association’s Youth Temple, Calvary Relief has tripled in size from the days following Hurricane Sandy to an operation that fields 100-plus volunteers daily from as far away as California, Florida and points in between.
Calvary Relief is a nondenominational organization of far-flung Christian churches specializing in good works.
After spending the night on air mattresses in the basement and washing up in the janitor’s sink, these out-of-staters join with volunteers from the Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge and head north to hard-hit areas like Union Beach and Sea Bright, and south to Belmar.
Whatever the issue, “we’d be happy to help out,” said Jason Baker, a Calvary pastor who is overseeing the work. “Any kind of mucking, deconstruction, tree removal.”
Fort Lauderdale volunteers Elyssa Service, 19, and Daniella Silva, 20
Connie Ogden of 23 Broadway was a grateful beneficiary of Calvary’s assistance rendered after professional pumpers siphoned six feet of water from her basement. For two days, as many as eight Calvary volunteers at a time cleaned and disinfected the basement, a job that required “a lot of lugging,” Ogden said. That wasn’t all. “They helped reassemble my shed and did a lot of hosing down of stuff. They pretty much did what I asked them to do. They were very, very polite and very helpful.”
Back at the Youth Temple, volunteers sort clothing and food donated by churches for distribution to hurricane victims. In addition, said Baker, food for the volunteers themselves, particularly packaged meat, bagged salads, and individual cheese slices, would be welcome.
As she sorted socks, Elyssia Service, 19, one of several volunteers from Fort Lauderdale, explained that she is enrolled in a Calvary discipleship program called “Patmos.” That is the name of a small Greek island where John the Apostle is believed to have had a vision from Jesus. This is her first assignment to a disaster, she said. “This is awesome being able to come out and serve.”
Another volunteer, Jim Shevchenko from the Old Bridge congregation, who was grabbing brooms and other cleaning items before heading up to the Highlands, said he is unemployed. “I’m just trying to look for a job and in between I’ll help the best way I can.”
One volunteer from Ocean Grove, who did not want to give his name, said he was both impressed by the relief effort and disappointed at the turnout from town. “There’s a lot of work to be done here and it’s being done, but not by Grovers.”
Baker said the Calvary Relief volunteers plan to stay on in Ocean Grove for a minimum of two more months.
Here’s where some volunteers sack out — in the Youth Temple basement. Others stay at Grove Hall when there is room.
I count myself lucky to be able to help others in need. God was gracious to me and my family through the storm and spared my house, and my life, also my family….others were not so lucky and I pray for those who lost loved ones. I am not working right now as I am looking for work I don’t want to be idle. I know alot of my friends and the people who I come in contact with in Ocean Grove and other places ALL tell me that if they didn’t have to work they would also volunteer to help! At this time of the year it is hard because it gets dark around the same time everyone gets out of work.I wanted to go help when Katrina hit La. but I had to work……..Remember it is not about who does what or how much we do….BUT it is the little things that count … when someone smiles and waves…or just offers to buy you a coffee…the kindness I see everywhere is what matters! I believe when tragedies happen it brings out the best in all of us and I am praying that this will bring people closer together and kinder to each other AND it will stay that way! So if you see a guy with brooms and shovels riding by waving at you……wave back cause it could be ME ! thanks and God Bless.
re: the comment about Grovers
The residents of Ocean Grove most likely have more than enough to work through themselves, that is why those of us who can will gladly serve and provide what little we can to help their great need.
Looking forward to coming out tomorrow and doing a small part.
For those in OG and beyond who have been impacted, displaced, or even just in complete shock over the extent of Sandy’s destruction, my deepest sympathy and empathy. To the blogger who wrote this, I feel highlighting efforts that Calvary has made is terrific and it is a blessing. At the same time, I am conflicted. I am recalling a service from Lloyd after the storm hit where Lloyd emphasizes to our church that this is a relief effort and a call to serve and is not and should not be a competition between which organizations or individuals but a call to serve…and to serve in whatever way that is…if even only to pray. I am discouraged to read a blog that so singularly focuses on one aspect of relief (& I am a Calvary member) and I can understand it might have caused others to feel diminished or offended. After all, who can say how many Ocean Grovers and beyond have been praying? Many comments posted though are no more in a tone of service and love than the tone of the blog which highlighted only one aspect of God’s work at such a devastating time. Personally, what I have witnessed when it comes to outreach in response to Sandy is awe inspiring…whether through our beloved Calvary, or through the heart of one neighbor simply providing a hug to another. Please, the goal is to serve Christ and those in need…not to serve egos. God Bless.
I would like to chime in as one of the main organizers of Calvary Chapel Relief.
To all you Grovers, please know that as we have come from the outside, we think it is perfectly reasonable if you just received from us and did not feel that you had to pick up the heavy load and burden of this community beyond what you are able. After all, we have been the recipients of your special kindness and patience in doing Bridgefest and baptisms etc… and we thought of you all first when Sandy hit and contacted OGCA to see what we could do.
OGCA was extremely gracious in not only accommodating our group to set up there but allowing a staging area that would first help Grovers and then be a blessing to your neighbors as well. They recognized the special providence of God upon the town protecting from what could have been much worse and liked the idea of Ocean Grove being the kind of town who helps others.
You are continuing to be a huge blessing as you endure large supply trucks and loads of people during these normally quiet winter months. We understand there will come the time when OGCA will realize you all need to get back to normal and we will perfectly understand and wind down our operation in OG.
In the meantime, please know that we are happy to come alongside and serve you all. Please let us know if you still need your homes, yards cleaned out, need power form a generator, supplies,etc…. And continue to do what you are doing to help your neighbors.
I know it is hard to just receive but please allow us return the favor for the years you have served us!
Pastor Lloyd Pulley
How about a big thank you all the way around, the number and contact name for the Camp Meeting, a heads up to that person so they can tell callers what is needed for the workers and a time to deliver it because people have day jobs, a list of organizations and the needs that could be distributed or at least downloaded and everyone just do what you can. I don’t know about you but I am still exhausted by it all and amazed at how lucky we were and every day finding out more and more people who are trying to carry on in varying degrees of despair and loss. I’m sure I’m not alone with every day trying to do my best to help, care and move forward. What do you say we just cut each other a break…
Thanks to the youth from St. Paul’s who removed the items from our flooded laundry-storage room, took up the linoleum and two sub floors, and took apart the wet sheet rock. Anonymous needs to know that people who give honestly from their heart do not want or need recognition. They quietly go about helping where it is needed which is probably why he/she had no knowledge of what OGrs were doing.
How predictably and disappointingly judgemental of an anonymous Grover to imply that residents are not participating in restoration efforts. My partner and I have participated in cleanups in Ocean Grove, Belmar, and Union Beach whenever we can spare the time, and I am using my remaining time off from work to be able to participate during the week with a group out of Red Bank. Just because Grovers arent participating with Cavalry (to whom we are indeed grateful) doesnt mean they arent participating somewhere. Lame.
700 Ocean Grovers showed up for a post-hurricane beach cleanup. If more help is needed OGCMA please organize a similar Saturday & we will return to help again. Clearly whomever said locals weren’t helping doesn’t have a clue. And those who haven’t been able to help, its probably because they are busy cleaning up their own property!
To those interested in making donations: We at Blogfinger don’t know exactly what is and is not needed. But before gathering up loads of things to donate, it would be best to call in advance and ask what’s being accepted. I’d call the Camp Meeting office to ask about that.
Nice to see the Christian organizations coming here to help.
I just went over to the Youth Temple and asked them what they needed and then went and brought some bulk food for the volunteers. Tomorrow it sounds like they can use unloaders and sorters for the supplies coming in on a truck around 9. By the way, I went to Costco and asked if they would give me a one day pass so I could by food for the volunteers (better to put that $55 into food than a membership I don’t otherwise need) and they refused. BJ’s on the other hand, did so and were lovely about it. Just saying.
It turns out that CrossRoots Student Ministries, the St. Paul youth group mentioned above by Helen Slocum, did more than clean out a few basements. According to director Megan Faulkner, some 30 members had signed up for the yearly mission trip, this time to Boston, where they would have been working last weekend with the homeless, among other assignments. When Sandy struck, they recognized the need in their own community and stayed put. They spent last Saturday helping needy homeowners, sorting and bagging food at the Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank, and giving out relief supplies at the Neptune Distribution Center. The students had been looking forward to the Boston trip but “they were very, very mature” about the decision not to go, Faulkner said. They recognized “it wasn’t the time to serve other communities. It was the time to serve our community.”
I was also not aware of the distribution center set up here, having been out of power and cleaning out my house.
If you post what items are needed and where and when they can be dropped off, I’d ask out of town friends to load my car with donations and I’d be happy to drop them off at the Youth Temple. Friends from other states have asked how to help, and I’d love to give them some helpful information. Are Christmas gifts for kids being accepted?
What we may have here is a failure to communicate. It seems likely that there is more volunteerism going on in OG than people realize, and that if more people knew where and how to volunteer, more would.
We invite anyone to use Blogfinger to spread the word about these opportunities.
Oh yes, the food pantry at St. Paul’s was open the Thursday after the storm staffed by folks who were dealing with there own losses. Folks don’t need recognition, but to say that OGers aren’t helping is wrong.
The youth group from St. Paul’s emptied out several basements. Here and elsewhere.
I’m sure anyone wanting to volunteer could just call the Camp Meeting Association, and they’d be glad to put you in touch.
I read the comment “There’s a lot of work to be done here and it’s being done, but not by Grovers.” I would love to help but had no idea of where to go or what to do. If someone could let me know I would greatly appreciate it.