You Can NOT Be Replaced®

Thank you to everyone who donated. To see a summary of what we did after the storm go to:

http://www.youcannotbereplaced.com/#!hurricane-relief/cr2x

You Can NOT Be Replaced® is a non profit that focuses on the unique and irreplaceable value of the individual, recognizing ones gifts and talents and using them for others. We redefine success as just that. Why? Our community has lost 12 young people to suicide in 5 years, 7 from our local high school. We have experience a pain that most have never considered possible.

 Check out our website to see more http://www.youcannotbereplaced.com

One of our volunteers is a very special, genuine person. She has rallied for us numerous time with her infectious motivation at our events. She collected 256 community members to run in the Color Run with us this Fall. We were the largest team the run has seen across the country. Her name is Dana Connelly, she is truly unique.

Our community is on the Jersey Shore. Our town that lies on the ocean has two bodies of water on either side. The entire east side of our town was submerged and destroyed by hurricane Sandy. The storm hit at high tide, with a full moon right south of us. The count of houses coming down is over 155 and climbing. We have FEMA, National Guard, OEM present. No power for over ten days. Some still without. Dana asked for volunteers with a clothing drive and town clean up. Of course we offered to help. That effort exploded to an entire community effort.

Our new life since the storm includes organizing teams of work crews with families whose homes are destroyed and sending teams out on a constant rotation from 9:30-4. Then delivering packages to the  houses of cleaning supplies, packaging supplies as they salvage belongings, food etc.  We have teachers, students and families, even the homeless ones volunteering. Just another example of Dana's contagious motivation.

 We did 22 houses the other day. Some have boardwalk in their back yard from two towns over, there was a life guard boat 12 blocks in from 3 towns away. That work is constant. 18" of sand in the home is standard, 6' outside normal. 4' of water the norm but have had some with 6' water marks. Salt water got into the water lines, so many homes have sewage. 

Handing out donations doesnt end til 5- 7pm. We have to help people shop because they are so lost. Or we collect the list and deliver. We are checking in on elderly and have found some sitting in flooded houses with burners on, which means then sending volunteers to check on them and bring them hot meals to follow up. We are feeding national guard, electric companies, contractors, people working. 5-8 Volunteers bring sandwiches by boxes of 100, they are gone everyday (that's just our location, the others are doing the same). We have to move our storage spot by Wednesday, so our group needs a local spot to keep working from. 

We meet 8:30 every morning with 4 churches, school crisis team and us. Our son Christopher was appointed by the mayor to be liaison between the national guard, FEMA, OEM, the town and the distribution centers. We meet for a briefing every am at 8:30. 155+ homes coming down in Manasquan and already hundreds of millions in residential damage . 

 There are 4 locations for families. Hot food in all locations, in addition to supplies. We're not only feeding the national guard we have volunteers to do their laundry. We have counselors in every location because everyone is so fragile. A facebook page called 'SquanStrong' that posts what we need and volunteer options. We had to get an airport hanger for overflow because there isnt a pod to be found in NJ. Box trucks just showing up unannounced daily from different states. No one is ready to take the new items because they are still scraping out their homes. 

What makes our community different is the amazing power of our spirit. Losing so many kids has made us very aware of the others around us. We care deeply. I don't think that there is another place that you could match the community involvement.

When I say 'we' in all the description I mean all of us. We have our workers, our sorters, our organizers, our cooks, our laundry personnel, our counselors, our moms at home watching others kids who are helping, Dad's with Chain saws and trucks, teachers working with students to shovel sand. Our social network puts out requests and within minutes we are finding needs as people work in their homes. Simply amazing. 

Please help us rebuild the town we love, get kids off make shift beds in neighbors homes back into their own beds. 

100% of your donation goes to the families in need

THANK YOU

Update:

MANASQUAN UPDATE 19:00 HRS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012:Flooded Housing Units:1,850 homes flooded or damaged by wave attackHousing Units without power:1,100 homes in electrical grids that have not been restored (many more homes have had meters removed)Displaced Residents:100 displaced Manasquan families reported to the school district, 250-500 displaced families estimated Borough-wide