Ten Belmar Families Still Displaced Since Hurricane Sandy

With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy less than two months away, there are still 10 families in Belmar displaced from their homes.

Borough Administrator Colleen Connolly said the figure is based on the waiting list for Belmar's social services for the storm, and rebuilding permits.

"Approximately 10 families are still displaced based on our waiting list for grant funds and from what we know of major home construction," she said.

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty made an appeal for additional donations toward these services in order to help out the families. Donation information is available here on the borough website.

Doherty said the fund's contributions go 100 percent toward Belmar families.

"Unfortunately, we still have friends and neighbors that are displaced from their homes, so if you have not had an opportunity to donate, you can still help by making a contribution at our website, www.belmar.com.  Every dollar contributed goes directly to help a family in need.  I can assure you we will keep working until every family in Belmar is back in their own home."

Doherty said aiding displaced and affected families was step one after the storm, having created the municipal fund early on. The borough collected and handed out thousands of dollars in donated gift cards to families.

Though Councilman Jim Bean looked for more transparency in the distribution of donations to private families, and said he felt the borough should have left the work to a non-profit to distance itself from any conflicts of interest, Doherty said the process was being done with state guidelines in mind.

In his announcement, Doherty recapped much of what Belmar has done to rebuild, both for local residents and businesses, and the tourism and physical infrastructures.

"From the day of the storm until now, the borough has been working every day to not only get people back in their homes and make sure businesses get up and running again, but also to make sure the look and feel of our beloved Belmar returns as much as possible to what it was before the storm," said the mayor.  "Working together we have made significant strides, but we still have much work to do to fully restore our town and provide a long-lasting legacy for our children.