Yesterday, we finished 3 days of disaster relief at the Jersey Shore. Having been there only in the off-season before, the post-Memorial Day vibe is a little more lively. I'm sure vacation season and the warm, sunny weather helps with that too. We had a full schedule for the 3 days, completing tasks at 4 different houses.
It was our first exposure to 'shore point' locations, but all the homes we worked on were being restored as at least temporary primary residences for their owners. However, it does bring up the dilemma of working on second homes. One way to look at it is to consider that we are there to help the community at-large and not simply the owners of the homes we are restoring. Meeting the owners and hearing their personal stories is a very big part of our work, and an inspiration for our group. Without the backstory we are simply subcontractors on a construction site, and that is missing the purpose of the mission. Thankfully, that has not happened thus far. As a group, we have made a personal connection with every one of the homeowners we have worked for since December, which numbers in double digits at this point.
In contrast to the damage on Staten Island, the beachfront homes in New Jersey have alot more hurricane (wind) damage as opposed to flooding. The damage is sporadic, depending on where the dunes were breached by the storm surge. Inland, however, most of the damage to homes is more uniform, mostly from flooding or damage caused by fallen trees.
All things considered, so far our group has had successful trips despite many chances of failure. There have been multiple 'close calls' due mostly to mis-communication, broken promises, and non-communication. Persistence, determination and 'thinking on-the-fly' have been the keys to successful trips. I'll put it this way, I have not yet once volunteered where I wasn't completely exhausted at the end of each day.
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