United by disaster: North Jersey Volunteers continue to boost Sandy recovery efforts

jennifer brown / special to the record

Lisa Ewart, left, a Sandy relief volunteer, visiting homeowners Bob and Beverly Baron in Little Ferry.

Full coverage: Superstorm Sandy, one year later

Beyond the mold-ridden basements, flooded living rooms, destroyed family photographs and other irreplaceable possessions, Superstorm Sandy led to something positive: It created the opportunity for North Jersey residents, who perhaps never would have come into contact with its victims, to form new connections, to carry out acts of kindness and to gain a sense of satisfaction from helping others in need.

Disasters and other large-scale tragedies have a way of doing this. At our most vulnerable, were drawn closer together. And Sandy, among the most destructive storms ever to hit our region, prompted a robust volunteer response. Some 3,400 volunteers from around the country in the past year have spent a total of 33,000 hours helping North Jersey residents bounce back from the storm.

Related: One year after Sandy, 'normal' remains elusive for New Jerseyans hit hardest

There are a lot of big holes where FEMA didnt help, said Marisa Santiago, volunteer manager for Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and the Long Term Recovery Committee, which coordinates the dozens of non-profit, civic and faith groups participating in the local recovery efforts. I have yet to meet a resident who said insurance and FEMA covered everything they would need. If we didnt have these volunteers, we would be paying a lot more for contractors to do work. Lots of work would go undone.

The Volunteer Center of Bergen County created Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster in 1999 in response to Tropical Storm Floyd, and has since been the coordinating agency to respond to natural disasters and events such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Leading into Sandys one-year anniversary, offers of help are still coming in. A couple just called from Milwaukee and asked to let us know what they can do, Santiago said. I have groups lined up for the next year.

To house some of these laborers, a guest hostel was set up in Little Ferry called Little Moon House, sponsored by the national charity Project 195. Other groups have stayed for no cost on the Rutherford campus of Felician College and eaten meals in the colleges dining hall.

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United by disaster: North Jersey Volunteers continue to boost Sandy recovery efforts