How Grassroots Organizations Rebuilt Around Lacey After Sandy

LACEY, NJ — It was Fred Rogers who famously said that, in times of worry and tragedy, to "look for the helpers."

After Superstorm Sandy wrought damage and chaos upon the Jersey Shore, many were left powerless, homeless and scared. But in the months after, as the tightknit community worked to recover, there were helpers abound, all supporting one another.

In Lacey, according to the township's 2014 recovery plan, 652 homes and more than 1,000 businesses were damaged. Some areas were flooded up to six feet.

Tony Fevola, owner of Fevola's Pizza in Lanoka Harbor, saw the destruction. His pizzeria was one of the few places that still had power. He offered those in need a warm spot to rest but wanted to do more as he saw people coming together to help.

People came from all over to ask, "How can I help?" It didn't matter if it was big or small - everything was a blessing to those in need. As volunteers cleaned up and helped others, Fevola wanted to help the helpers.

Pizza With Compassion was born. The program supported the helpers - providing pizzas to the volunteers and first responders who were working hard to return Ocean County to somewhat normalcy.

Fevola shared a video demonstrating the work the community had done and how people came from all over to help the shore. WATCH BELOW.

Fevola's has been around for 30 years, Fevola told Patch, and as a family operation, they care about those who help the community.

"If you're doing something different to care about the community, we care about you," Fevola told Patch.

In the time since, Fevola's has again opened its doors in times of need, offering help.

Still, Fevola minimized his role, emphasizing the other volunteers seen in the video who did great things.

"I was a tiny part," he said.

"It was a time no one will forget, people remembered kindness and pulled together to help one another and our strength conquered all," Forked River resident Diane Callahan told Patch. Callahan, who lives on Cape May Drive off Beach Boulevard, had keys to many of her neighbor's homes as they were summer residents. Something told her and her husband to shut off gas lines before they evacuated.

A lot of house damage was brought by exploding gas lines that caught homes on fire. "Who knew?" Callahan said.

Nearby in Berkeley Township, Central Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Tom Parlapanides recalled simple acts of kindness as being one of the best things during that time. His Seaside Park home was damaged in the storm and he was wearing flip flops at Manhattan Bagel as he went to bring his father breakfast after he lost his clothes and shoes at his home.

When he went to pay, the lady in front of him had already paid his bill.

He also remembered Bob Everett, the Board of Education president at the time, inviting Parlapanides over to his house for some Chinese food and a movie.

"It was a little slice of normalcy and I really appreciated it," Parlapanides recalled.

Everett is a "tremendous person," Parlapanides said, and they wanted to do more for their communities.

A former player that Parlapanides had coached, Jay Gould, showed up with a tractor trailer filled with supplies, from formula to diapers and water, he said.

He recalled being touched by the kindness of the community coming together to help.

In the 10 years since the storm, Ocean County has slowly recovered. Lacey worked to rebuild, repairing buildings, stabilizing the shoreline and developing emergency plans, among others. These are things that are ongoing to this day.

Berkeley similarly implemented measures to become more resilient when it comes to storm surges.

But no one forgot the great work that volunteers did as a battered community recovered.

"It was amazing to see people helping each other with big or small donations from the heart," Parlpanides said. "It was what makes America something special."