Long after the storm of the century, the people of New Jersey are still putting to rights the things that Hurricane Sandy tore apart in October 2012. In some cases, that means upgrades as simple as a fresh coat of paint and a new fence.

Those were the projects on the agenda last April when volunteers from the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association, which was holding a conference in nearby Jersey City, spent a day freshening up the playground at Manasquan Elementary School in one of the hardest-hit towns on the Jersey Shore. Fifteen IBTTA volunteers repainted the playground and built a fence to protect students from a nearby creek.

“Our volunteers especially enjoy nuts-and-bolts projects that involve construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, painting, etc.,” says Executive Director and CEO Patrick Jones. “In general, they enjoy fixing things that have been damaged or destroyed. Our volunteers also enjoy the camaraderie that comes from working on these service projects.”

IBTTA organized the project with the help of the nonprofit Jersey Cares. —Julie Shoop

(Handout photo)