HOWELL – During this unique time of COVID-19 confinement, school and public building closures, job suspensions, furloughs and government meetings held via virtual means, township residents are trying to make things better.
As social distancing, empty shelves and remote learning became part of the new normal, Billy Stahnten, Robert Seaman, and Councilman Thomas Russo took on a project to help residents with delivering needs ranging from toilet paper to food.
“Howell has great community spirit,” Russo said. “We were just trying to help out and we got a lot of support from other residents.”
Seaman, a resident of the township for the last seven years, has worked to gather and even cook food for those in need in the past. Now many in need are finding it difficult to get to food due to the conditions of the COVID-19 guidelines.
He wanted to reduce some of that need by continuing his role in supporting a program his church in Asbury Park has been involved with for years.
“Once you volunteer it is amazing how all these opportunities come up,” Seaman added. That was how he, Stahnten and Russo ended up teaming up to help residents last month.
“One of the beautiful things about Howell Township is we always get more volunteers then we have people who need help, which says so much about the township. It really is incredible,” Seaman added.
Seaman went on to say, “we say ‘Hey we need help,’ and we get 30 volunteers and we have one person who needs assistance. It is difficult to coordinate because we don’t have limitless pockets to go out and buy things for people. We are trying to facilitate grocery pickup like ‘go online, place your order and we will pick it up for you’ just to make it easier for people who can’t get around.”
“Unfortunately, some of the situations are beyond what we can really do. Billy, Tommy and I like to do something rather than do nothing. It is usually Tommy’s idea and we are just happy to help. Last year we did a big landscape clean-up at the VFW because why not?” Seaman added.
Seaman gave credit to the Shore Christian Church in Asbury Park and the Jersey Shore Dream Center. “They are partners in community outreach and charitable work. One of our big mantra’s is ‘find a need and fill it,’” Seaman said.
“That is just what we’ve been trying to do. They are a 365-day operation they run a baby pantry for mothers in need and they have a huge food supply for people to deliver and donate. It is tough because some of the things they have there can’t be used effectively because the problem with donations is that you are getting random things from people,” Seaman said.
He gave the example, “If you gave a person who has a hot plate and a refrigerator a 20-pound bag of rice what are they going to do with it? Unfortunately, you are only allowed to do so much as a charity because there are a million legalities to everything to help. We are trying to make the most of it without wasting things.”
“I spent plenty of time while I was in the military in a military kitchen,” Seaman added for occasions where he has cooked food for benefit causes in the past.
He said his wife and his daughter have strongly supported his community service work and were the motivating factors in his joining the church. “I got into it second hand.”
Seaman said the church and its partner delivers to the whole community. “I never realized how many needy people we have. I knew there was homeless everywhere. They have predetermined stops that they have been making for years where they are able to deliver food packages. It is being done in Asbury Park, Neptune, Wall, Belmar and all over that whole shore area.”
“Now with things being how they are we have to be much more careful in how we are doing things in terms of gloves, masks but also being out there and showing people that there is hope. People need to know there are people out there doing good things even when times are at their worst,” Seaman said.
