Home Care In Sea Girt, NJ

Sea Girt NJ moves to formally partner with Jersey Shore Dream Center to fight food insecurity and diaper need. Learn how you can join the effort.

SEA GIRT, NJ — As the season of giving approaches, the Sea Girt Council has taken steps toward a formal partnership with the Jersey Shore Dream Center (JSDC), a Neptune-based nonprofit that provides direct support to families facing food insecurity, baby and diaper needs, and other unmet basic necessities throughout the Jersey Shore region.

Representatives from the Jersey Shore Dream Center appeared before the council to outline the organization’s mission and programs, as officials confirmed they are preparing a resolution to formally recognize and support the nonprofit, with introduction expected at the January council meeting.

Founded in 2012, the Jersey Shore Dream Center was created to address gaps in services not fully covered by existing nonprofits. Pastor Isaac Friedel explained that the organization’s focus has always been on identifying unmet needs within local communities and responding in practical, targeted ways.

“We exist to find the needs that fall through the cracks,” Friedel said. “Sometimes that’s right here along the Jersey Shore, sometimes it’s just inland, but it’s always about people in our own backyard who may be blending in or too proud to ask for help.”

One of the Dream Center’s largest initiatives is its Mobile Food Pantry, which delivers groceries directly to communities with limited access to traditional food pantries. Rather than duplicating existing services, JSDC identified locations such as motels, rooming houses, and trailer parks where transportation barriers prevent residents from reaching food banks.

Today, the Mobile Food Pantry serves nearly 30 sites weekly, distributing approximately 20 tons of food each month and helping feed about 45,000 people annually. According to Friedel, the organization surpassed $1.5 million worth of food donations last year alone.

Another core program is the Baby Pantry, which addresses diaper insecurity — a growing issue across New Jersey. JSDC currently provides free diapers and baby supplies to more than 200 families, distributing roughly 20,000 diapers each month. Despite those efforts, demand continues to outpace supply, with 50 to 60 families currently on a waiting list.

“Diapers are one of the hardest items to secure,” Friedel said. “They don’t expire, so stores don’t donate them. We spend between $4,000 and $5,000 each month beyond our partner donations just purchasing diapers so families don’t have to choose between paying rent, utilities, or buying baby essentials.”

In addition to food and baby assistance, the Jersey Shore Dream Center launched an Adopt-A-Block initiative in the summer of 2024, expanding its focus to consistent, relationship-based outreach. Through the program, volunteers commit to serving the same block in Asbury Park every Saturday, delivering groceries, toiletries, clothing, and other essentials directly to residents.

Friedel described Adopt-A-Block as transformative, noting that the program emphasizes dignity, trust, and consistency. “We’re not just delivering supplies — we’re delivering hope,” he said, adding that regular presence has sparked meaningful change and strengthened community ties.

Friedel shared a recent encounter that underscored the impact of the Dream Center’s work. While stopping at a convenience store in Spring Lake Heights, a woman noticed his Dream Center hat and thanked him. “Because of your giving, I’ve been able to stay in my home,” she told him. Friedel said the woman was deeply grateful and overjoyed, a reminder that many of those being helped live just next door to communities like Sea Girt. “Our focus has always been the Jersey Shore and the people right in our backyard,” he said. “Often, they’re blending in, or they’re too proud to ask for help, but the need is there and too often overlooked.”

Council members asked how families with babies are referred to the Dream Center and how assistance is distributed. Friedel explained that the Baby Pantry operates on a referral basis through local hospitals such as Jersey Shore Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, as well as trusted nonprofit partners. Every family is verified through income documentation to ensure assistance reaches those below the poverty line.

Councilman Tom Downey asked about fundraising strategies and how towns can help. Friedel said education and awareness are critical, particularly around diaper need, which is often overlooked compared to food insecurity. He noted that community-led diaper drives, school partnerships, and municipal involvement can significantly expand the organization’s reach. To learn more about the Jersey Shore Dream Center, click HERE

Councilman Zackin asked how residents and organizations can donate. Friedel said monetary donations are most efficient, allowing JSDC to purchase diapers at discounted rates, but emphasized that in-kind donations — especially diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6, wipes, and baby food — are urgently needed.

Council President Diane Anthony asked whether the Dream Center envisioned a long-term partnership with Sea Girt.

“I would be honored,” Friedel said. “This is my community. I grew up nearby, and the Jersey Shore is home. Right now, the need we’re seeing is nearly eight times greater than what we’re able to serve. We can’t responsibly expand unless our supply and partnerships grow alongside that demand. Our ask of the Sea Girt community is simple but meaningful: help us support our neighbors, especially families with babies. If Sea Girt could rally around one or two major diaper and wipes drives each year, it would directly help us close one of the most urgent gaps we see and allow families to stay housed, stable, and cared for.”

Following the presentation, the mayor and governing body agreed to move forward with a resolution formalizing Sea Girt’s support of the Jersey Shore Dream Center. Officials said the measure will help raise awareness, encourage community involvement, and provide a framework for ongoing collaboration between the borough and the nonprofit.

During the month of January, the town and representatives from the JSDC will iron out a plan to launch the diaper and wipes drive across the town and communicate it back to the town.

Sea Girt would become one of several Shore towns actively partnering with the Dream Center — a step officials said reflects both the scale of need in the region and the borough’s commitment to supporting neighbors beyond municipal boundaries.

Sea Girt NJ moves to formally partner with Jersey Shore Dream Center to fight food insecurity and diaper need. Learn how you can join the effort.

SEA GIRT, NJ — As the season of giving approaches, the Sea Girt Council has taken steps toward a formal partnership with the Jersey Shore Dream Center (JSDC), a Neptune-based nonprofit that provides direct support to families facing food insecurity, baby and diaper needs, and other unmet basic necessities throughout the Jersey Shore region.

Representatives from the Jersey Shore Dream Center appeared before the council to outline the organization’s mission and programs, as officials confirmed they are preparing a resolution to formally recognize and support the nonprofit, with introduction expected at the January council meeting.

Founded in 2012, the Jersey Shore Dream Center was created to address gaps in services not fully covered by existing nonprofits. Pastor Isaac Friedel explained that the organization’s focus has always been on identifying unmet needs within local communities and responding in practical, targeted ways.

“We exist to find the needs that fall through the cracks,” Friedel said. “Sometimes that’s right here along the Jersey Shore, sometimes it’s just inland, but it’s always about people in our own backyard who may be blending in or too proud to ask for help.”

One of the Dream Center’s largest initiatives is its Mobile Food Pantry, which delivers groceries directly to communities with limited access to traditional food pantries. Rather than duplicating existing services, JSDC identified locations such as motels, rooming houses, and trailer parks where transportation barriers prevent residents from reaching food banks.

Today, the Mobile Food Pantry serves nearly 30 sites weekly, distributing approximately 20 tons of food each month and helping feed about 45,000 people annually. According to Friedel, the organization surpassed $1.5 million worth of food donations last year alone.

Another core program is the Baby Pantry, which addresses diaper insecurity — a growing issue across New Jersey. JSDC currently provides free diapers and baby supplies to more than 200 families, distributing roughly 20,000 diapers each month. Despite those efforts, demand continues to outpace supply, with 50 to 60 families currently on a waiting list.

“Diapers are one of the hardest items to secure,” Friedel said. “They don’t expire, so stores don’t donate them. We spend between $4,000 and $5,000 each month beyond our partner donations just purchasing diapers so families don’t have to choose between paying rent, utilities, or buying baby essentials.”

In addition to food and baby assistance, the Jersey Shore Dream Center launched an Adopt-A-Block initiative in the summer of 2024, expanding its focus to consistent, relationship-based outreach. Through the program, volunteers commit to serving the same block in Asbury Park every Saturday, delivering groceries, toiletries, clothing, and other essentials directly to residents.

Friedel described Adopt-A-Block as transformative, noting that the program emphasizes dignity, trust, and consistency. “We’re not just delivering supplies — we’re delivering hope,” he said, adding that regular presence has sparked meaningful change and strengthened community ties.

Friedel shared a recent encounter that underscored the impact of the Dream Center’s work. While stopping at a convenience store in Spring Lake Heights, a woman noticed his Dream Center hat and thanked him. “Because of your giving, I’ve been able to stay in my home,” she told him. Friedel said the woman was deeply grateful and overjoyed, a reminder that many of those being helped live just next door to communities like Sea Girt. “Our focus has always been the Jersey Shore and the people right in our backyard,” he said. “Often, they’re blending in, or they’re too proud to ask for help, but the need is there and too often overlooked.”

Council members asked how families with babies are referred to the Dream Center and how assistance is distributed. Friedel explained that the Baby Pantry operates on a referral basis through local hospitals such as Jersey Shore Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, as well as trusted nonprofit partners. Every family is verified through income documentation to ensure assistance reaches those below the poverty line.

Councilman Tom Downey asked about fundraising strategies and how towns can help. Friedel said education and awareness are critical, particularly around diaper need, which is often overlooked compared to food insecurity. He noted that community-led diaper drives, school partnerships, and municipal involvement can significantly expand the organization’s reach. To learn more about the Jersey Shore Dream Center, click HERE

Councilman Zackin asked how residents and organizations can donate. Friedel said monetary donations are most efficient, allowing JSDC to purchase diapers at discounted rates, but emphasized that in-kind donations — especially diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6, wipes, and baby food — are urgently needed.

Council President Diane Anthony asked whether the Dream Center envisioned a long-term partnership with Sea Girt.

“I would be honored,” Friedel said. “This is my community. I grew up nearby, and the Jersey Shore is home. Right now, the need we’re seeing is nearly eight times greater than what we’re able to serve. We can’t responsibly expand unless our supply and partnerships grow alongside that demand. Our ask of the Sea Girt community is simple but meaningful: help us support our neighbors, especially families with babies. If Sea Girt could rally around one or two major diaper and wipes drives each year, it would directly help us close one of the most urgent gaps we see and allow families to stay housed, stable, and cared for.”

Following the presentation, the mayor and governing body agreed to move forward with a resolution formalizing Sea Girt’s support of the Jersey Shore Dream Center. Officials said the measure will help raise awareness, encourage community involvement, and provide a framework for ongoing collaboration between the borough and the nonprofit.

During the month of January, the town and representatives from the JSDC will iron out a plan to launch the diaper and wipes drive across the town and communicate it back to the town.

Sea Girt would become one of several Shore towns actively partnering with the Dream Center — a step officials said reflects both the scale of need in the region and the borough’s commitment to supporting neighbors beyond municipal boundaries.

Sea Girt NJ moves to formally partner with Jersey Shore Dream Center to fight food insecurity and diaper need. Learn how you can join the effort.

SEA GIRT, NJ — As the season of giving approaches, the Sea Girt Council has taken steps toward a formal partnership with the Jersey Shore Dream Center (JSDC), a Neptune-based nonprofit that provides direct support to families facing food insecurity, baby and diaper needs, and other unmet basic necessities throughout the Jersey Shore region.

Representatives from the Jersey Shore Dream Center appeared before the council to outline the organization’s mission and programs, as officials confirmed they are preparing a resolution to formally recognize and support the nonprofit, with introduction expected at the January council meeting.

Founded in 2012, the Jersey Shore Dream Center was created to address gaps in services not fully covered by existing nonprofits. Pastor Isaac Friedel explained that the organization’s focus has always been on identifying unmet needs within local communities and responding in practical, targeted ways.

“We exist to find the needs that fall through the cracks,” Friedel said. “Sometimes that’s right here along the Jersey Shore, sometimes it’s just inland, but it’s always about people in our own backyard who may be blending in or too proud to ask for help.”

One of the Dream Center’s largest initiatives is its Mobile Food Pantry, which delivers groceries directly to communities with limited access to traditional food pantries. Rather than duplicating existing services, JSDC identified locations such as motels, rooming houses, and trailer parks where transportation barriers prevent residents from reaching food banks.

Today, the Mobile Food Pantry serves nearly 30 sites weekly, distributing approximately 20 tons of food each month and helping feed about 45,000 people annually. According to Friedel, the organization surpassed $1.5 million worth of food donations last year alone.

Another core program is the Baby Pantry, which addresses diaper insecurity — a growing issue across New Jersey. JSDC currently provides free diapers and baby supplies to more than 200 families, distributing roughly 20,000 diapers each month. Despite those efforts, demand continues to outpace supply, with 50 to 60 families currently on a waiting list.

“Diapers are one of the hardest items to secure,” Friedel said. “They don’t expire, so stores don’t donate them. We spend between $4,000 and $5,000 each month beyond our partner donations just purchasing diapers so families don’t have to choose between paying rent, utilities, or buying baby essentials.”

In addition to food and baby assistance, the Jersey Shore Dream Center launched an Adopt-A-Block initiative in the summer of 2024, expanding its focus to consistent, relationship-based outreach. Through the program, volunteers commit to serving the same block in Asbury Park every Saturday, delivering groceries, toiletries, clothing, and other essentials directly to residents.

Friedel described Adopt-A-Block as transformative, noting that the program emphasizes dignity, trust, and consistency. “We’re not just delivering supplies — we’re delivering hope,” he said, adding that regular presence has sparked meaningful change and strengthened community ties.

Friedel shared a recent encounter that underscored the impact of the Dream Center’s work. While stopping at a convenience store in Spring Lake Heights, a woman noticed his Dream Center hat and thanked him. “Because of your giving, I’ve been able to stay in my home,” she told him. Friedel said the woman was deeply grateful and overjoyed, a reminder that many of those being helped live just next door to communities like Sea Girt. “Our focus has always been the Jersey Shore and the people right in our backyard,” he said. “Often, they’re blending in, or they’re too proud to ask for help, but the need is there and too often overlooked.”

Council members asked how families with babies are referred to the Dream Center and how assistance is distributed. Friedel explained that the Baby Pantry operates on a referral basis through local hospitals such as Jersey Shore Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center, as well as trusted nonprofit partners. Every family is verified through income documentation to ensure assistance reaches those below the poverty line.

Councilman Tom Downey asked about fundraising strategies and how towns can help. Friedel said education and awareness are critical, particularly around diaper need, which is often overlooked compared to food insecurity. He noted that community-led diaper drives, school partnerships, and municipal involvement can significantly expand the organization’s reach. To learn more about the Jersey Shore Dream Center, click HERE

Councilman Zackin asked how residents and organizations can donate. Friedel said monetary donations are most efficient, allowing JSDC to purchase diapers at discounted rates, but emphasized that in-kind donations — especially diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6, wipes, and baby food — are urgently needed.

Council President Diane Anthony asked whether the Dream Center envisioned a long-term partnership with Sea Girt.

“I would be honored,” Friedel said. “This is my community. I grew up nearby, and the Jersey Shore is home. Right now, the need we’re seeing is nearly eight times greater than what we’re able to serve. We can’t responsibly expand unless our supply and partnerships grow alongside that demand. Our ask of the Sea Girt community is simple but meaningful: help us support our neighbors, especially families with babies. If Sea Girt could rally around one or two major diaper and wipes drives each year, it would directly help us close one of the most urgent gaps we see and allow families to stay housed, stable, and cared for.”

Following the presentation, the mayor and governing body agreed to move forward with a resolution formalizing Sea Girt’s support of the Jersey Shore Dream Center. Officials said the measure will help raise awareness, encourage community involvement, and provide a framework for ongoing collaboration between the borough and the nonprofit.

During the month of January, the town and representatives from the JSDC will iron out a plan to launch the diaper and wipes drive across the town and communicate it back to the town.

Sea Girt would become one of several Shore towns actively partnering with the Dream Center — a step officials said reflects both the scale of need in the region and the borough’s commitment to supporting neighbors beyond municipal boundaries.

By Sunayana Prabhu

SEA BRIGHT – A unanimous New Jersey Supreme Court ruling has cleared the way for the borough to pursue a new prekindergarten through grade 12 regional school district, allowing the borough to petition for a withdrawal from the two school districts its students now attend.

Currently, borough students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Oceanport schools; students in grades nine through 12 attend Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch.

Sea Bright has been exploring the creation of a new pre-K to 12 regional school district with Henry Hudson Regional School District, which enrolls students from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands. The idea coalesced in 2020 and was presented to the two boroughs by Sea Bright officials, who believed all three communities could benefit both educationally and financially from the creation of a new school district. A 2020 feasibility study undertaken by the borough confirmed the benefits.

The court ruled in favor of the borough’s petition for the proposed new regional district in a unanimous vote Dec. 8. “We hold that a municipality in Sea Bright’s position is a governing body authorized to pursue withdrawal from a school district to form or enlarge a regional school district,” Justice Anne M. Patterson said in the court documents.

“We are looking forward to see what opportunities this flexibility will bring,” Mayor Brian Kelly said Dec. 16 in response to the court ruling. However, he stressed that the decision “does not change anything for Sea Bright families at this point in time.”

Sea Bright officials and supporters have said the ruling clears a procedural path that could eventually lead to a referendum, but multiple layers of legal, administrative and voter approval remain before any change in district alignment is finalized.

Legal Proceedings So Far

Sea Bright has not operated its own school or board of education for more than a decade. Until 2009, the borough functioned as a nonoperating district, sending students in kindergarten through eighth grade to Oceanport schools and high school students to Shore Regional. That year, Sea Bright formally dissolved its district and continued its sending arrangement with the Oceanport and Shore Regional districts.

In 2022, Sea Bright adopted a resolution seeking to withdraw from both Oceanport and Shore Regional and to pursue regionalization with Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and the Henry Hudson Regional School District.

In 2023 and 2024, Oceanport and Shore Regional challenged Sea Bright’s authority to withdraw after the state education commissioner ruled the borough was authorized to pursue an exit. But Sea Bright was removed from a potential merger plan amid those objections shortly before voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands approved their own regionalization with Henry Hudson beginning in 2024.

The Superior Court, Appellate Division, later upheld the commissioner’s decision, and the New Jersey Supreme Court has now unanimously affirmed that ruling. Sea Bright is permitted under state law to pursue withdrawal, subject to further approvals and a potential referendum that would also require voter approval in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

Officials Respond

The Shore Regional Board of Education issued a press release Dec. 12, maintaining that, despite the court ruling, it did not say “Sea Bright can leave the Shore Regional and Oceanport School Districts. In fact, the Court explicitly made no determination as to whether Sea Bright met the criteria for withdrawal.”

This will eventually be determined by the commissioner of education, the statement said, should Sea Bright proceed to file a petition to exit.

In its ruling, the court determined that Sea Bright was authorized by state statute to pursue withdrawal. According to the court documents, school-regionalization terms such as “merged” and “consolidated” were created to promote consolidation and regionalization and were not intended to hinder leaving.

But the Shore Regional board argued that, “Before Sea Bright would be eligible to withdraw from Shore Regional and Oceanport, the Borough must first resolve numerous intermediate steps.”

Meanwhile, Sea Bright Mayor Kelly said the earliest realistic timeline for the next steps in the process would likely be the fourth quarter of 2026, though it depends on several factors.

He also noted potential financial implications for borough taxpayers. According to Kelly, Sea Bright has 33 students – nine at Shore Regional High School and 24 in Oceanport schools. The current annual per-pupil cost for attending the Oceanport School District is $35,000, while the average annual cost per student at Shore Regional is almost 10 times that at nearly $300,000, according to Kelly.

“We have completed economic analyses in the past that will need to be updated in the near future. I’ll wait for any updated studies, but any change to the Shore Regional-style formula will have significant positive implications for Sea Bright taxpayers,” Kelly said.

The past feasibility study projected that each municipality (Sea Bright, Atlantic Highlands and Highlands) would have its total tax levy reduced by at least $450,000 with a regionalization. “Such savings will have a significant impact on each community’s ability to continue to provide exceptional services, while maintaining taxes at a reasonable and affordable level,” the study read.

The mayor also addressed concerns raised that a district change could separate siblings into different school systems or prevent students from attending high school with classmates they met in earlier grades.

“In a case where Sea Bright forms a new district and pulls away from Shore Regional, students would finish the school they are attending before transitioning to a new district,” Kelly said. “In the case where there are siblings in different grades or schools, I think it’s safe to say we would try to give them the option to stay with siblings if that was possible. That would be decided at a later date based on what options exist.”

Some Sea Bright residents have hailed the ruling as a major milestone. Kelly said it has validated Sea Bright’s ability to explore new regionalization options under recent state legislation.

“I think it’s good to reaffirm that our attorneys, professionals, council and other potential partners were correct in our belief that the recent state school legislation permitted us to consider forming a new school district with other willing towns and school districts,” he said.

He also noted that any actions suggested by the borough will be shared publicly. “I recommend coming to our borough meetings, and also following our website and any other publications relating to our schools,” Kelly said.

The Shore Regional board said it is committed to maintaining educational programs and will continue to participate in legal proceedings to ensure compliance with state law.

“Shore Regional’s duty to its students, and the community it serves, demands nothing less,” the statement said.

The article originally appeared in the December 18 – 24, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.

A Monmouth County town that currently sends its public school students to two different districts may seek to move them all to one, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled.

In a 7-0 decision announced Monday, the state’s top court said Sea Bright may seek to send students from kindergarten through 12th grade to the Henry Hudson Regional School District.

Sea Bright disbanded its school district 16 years ago. Currently, it sends the kindergarten through eighth grade students to the Oceanport School District and grades nine through 12 to the Shore Regional High School District.

Henry Hudson Regional enrolls students from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

“Based on the plain language of the relevant statutes, we hold that a municipality in Sea Bright’s position is a governing body authorized to pursue withdrawal from a school district to form or enlarge a regional school district,” wrote Justice Anne M. Patterson on behalf of the court.

The ruling upheld an earlier decision by the state Appellate Division.

Sea Bright was initially part of a merger plan in which Highlands and Atlantic Highlands agreed to disband their elementary school districts in order to join Henry Hudson Regional beginning in 2024.

Both Highlands and Atlantic Highlands were already sending seventh through 12th grade students to Henry Hudson Regional High School.

However, Sea Bright was removed from the merger plan — not long before it was approved by voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands — amid objections from Oceanport and Shore Regional.

Monday’s ruling appears to clear the way for Sea Bright to hold a referendum on the switch. The move would also need approval from voters in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

“There’s no standing legal impediment. This has been greenlighted by the commission of education, all the way up to the Supreme Court. We look forward to the voters being heard,” said Vito Gagliardi, Sea Bright’s attorney in the case.

Oceanport school board president Mark Patterson — of no relation to Justice Patterson — responded to the ruling with a written statement noting that it does not require Sea Bright to proceed with joining Henry Hudson Regional.

“Throughout the appellate process and any subsequent consideration of Sea Bright’s petition, the Oceanport Board of Education remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the interests of both Sea Bright and Oceanport’s students, families, and taxpayers,” Patterson said.

Until 2009, Sea Bright was a non-operating school district — with no school board and no schools — that sent its students from kindergarten through eighth grade to Oceanport and from grades nine through 12 to the Shore Regional.

The district was dissolved, then merged with Oceanport, but still continued sending students to Shore Regional High School.

In June 2022, Sea Bright adopted a resolution seeking to join Henry Hudson Regional and, four weeks later, filed a joint petition with Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

Oceanport and Shore Regional filed an appeal after the state education commissioner determined that Sea Bright was authorized to pursue an exit.

Patterson wrote that the New Jersey Legislature “has enacted a complex statutory scheme designed to promote the regionalization of school districts.”

“A core provision of that scheme authorizes certain governing bodies and school districts that are part of regional or consolidated school districts to withdraw from those districts in order to form or enlarge regional districts, subject to referendum,” Patterson wrote.

New Jersey is home to about 600 school districts but has few regionalized districts compared to many other states.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill in 2023 that gave districts financial incentives to study consolidation, including combining into county-wide or regional school districts.