HI there:
I am an Asbury Park resident. 30% of Asbury Park residents live below the poverty level and are unable to afford to go to the beach during the day when life guards are on duty. So folks go to the beach after the life guards go home when the beach is free which is very dnagerous. This is when drownings occur.
Last summer I began a fundraiser and raised $10,000. I bought seasonal beach badges, gave them to Trinity Church and the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County and the badges were dispersed to low income families. I am again doing the fundraiser for this summer. The $10,000 earned only bought 115 adult badges and 90 teen badges. There is no discount in Asbury Park for the disbled to have access to the beach.
The cool news is that Senator Vin Gopal will match $2000 in donations made by May 15th. So I am hoping people donate as soon as possible. I lived in Southern CA for 10 years where the beaches are free, clean and fillled with diverse families. My best memories are of the beach with my parents and sister as a child. I would love all families in Asbury Park to enjoy mother nature this summer despite their income.
I would love to continue to promote my fundraiser any way possible. I have a Go Fund Me Account and I am part of the Dale Caldwell Foundation which is a non-profit foundation that aims to reduce poverty. I recently reecived an email by Dale Caldwell who was interested in helping me help the citiziens of Asbury Park get to the beach this summer. So now I have a non-profit to help me.
We often take mother nature and our ability to enjoy it for granted but so many folks in Asbury park are unable to afford to spend time on the beach.
Thank you for your time. Any help promoting my fundraiser would be great!
Thank you
Lisa Marie Cramp