Making a Difference

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For the past four summers I’ve spent the last week of summer vacation in Avalon, New Jersey, with one of my best friends and her family.  Throughout the week we sunbathe, play paddleball on the beach, and body surf in the ocean.  The vacation is peaceful, relaxing, and a perfect way to end each summer. 

Last month, Hurricane Sandy devastated large areas of the Atlantic seaboard.  The Jersey Shore was anything but peaceful.  Along with most of New Jersey, the community of Avalon experienced massive flooding and widespread power outages.  When I look at some of the pictures of Sandy’s aftermath, I can’t imagine how Avalon residents must have felt.  People were forced to evacuate their homes and were uncertain of how their houses would be affected or if they would ever seen some of their belongings again.

The photo below pictures Avalon Freeze, a popular ice cream shop located in the heart of Avalon, under multiple feet of water.  

Avalon is still dealing with post storm repairs and cleanup.  In other places throughout the Northeast many schools and businesses are closed and mass amounts of people are still without power and places to stay.

As I remember back to the memories I’ve made in Avalon each summer I feel a personal responsibility to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  The people who are still struggling need our help and it only takes a small donation to aid in the restoration of the areas that were damaged by the storm!

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.