One might assume the best part of owning a business is being one’s own boss.
For Hazlet residents and business owners Bill and Gail Bechtoldt, that sentiment is true, but not because the couple enjoys taking spontaneous vacations or extended lunch breaks.
Among the exquisite floral arrangements and whimsical vases at Koch Florist + Gifts, Middletown, is the epicenter of Jersey Shore Workcamp, a home repair mission spearhead by the couple.
The initiative that takes 18 months to organize is coordinated and implemented every other year. If the couple were not their own bosses, Bill Bechtoldt said, they would not have the ability to serve their community during normal business hours.
“It’s a Christian thing,” Bechtoldt said in an interview at the shop, noting that he and his wife are anchored by a Christian faith that provides them with a desire to serve others.
From July 8-12, Jersey Shore Workcamp, which falls under its parent organization, Group Workcamp, will enlist 450 high school age volunteers from throughout the United States and Canada to improve and repair homes in Cliffwood, Atlantic Highlands, Keyport, Hazlet, Middletown, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls and Marlboro.
“This (initiative) began when we took our youth group from St. John’s United Methodist Church in Hazlet on trips like this. One time when we were down in North Carolina working, Gail decided we should bring this concept to (our) area. We gave it a shot and have been doing it ever since,” Bechtoldt said.
He said residents who are financially or physically unable to make necessary repairs and renovations to their home may apply for the free program. On average, 75 to 85 homes are repaired each summer.
Bechtoldt said once applications for assistance have been received, he and volunteers from St. John’s United Methodist Church will assess the homes and note the type of materials that are needed to complete repairs.
“We try to do everything we can in that one week,” he said, noting that “homes with the most needs go first” and may take longer to complete.
“Someone’s home that may have a major need, we can take care of that another time during the year with follow-up crews,” Bechtoldt said.
The teenagers who complete the repairs are from church youth groups, he said. They will stay in a Hazlet school while they are here and give up a week of their summer vacation in the name of serving others, he said.
“There is no fluff and puff,” Gail Bechtoldt laughed, revealing that the young adults receive volunteer hours for their week of service. “This effort can become contagious. When neighbors see what’s going on at somebody’s house, they realize it is improving the neighborhood and helping their neighbor.
“If (the people watching) are elderly or infirm, they are going to want help, too. There are even some people whose homes we have repaired four times because they cannot keep up with the maintenance,” she said.
She said one year’s repairs can require upwards of $50,000 worth of building materials. Fundraisers, donations and a partnership with Lowe’s home improvement centers cover the cost of supplies, she reported.
Asked to recall a rewarding experience that resulted from coordinating the program, she tearfully noted a request made almost every time by elderly homeowners who use a wheelchair: a ramp built outside their home that can accommodate their wheelchair.
“One thing that gives you goosebumps is any homeowner who has not been allowed to get down the stairs because they are in a wheelchair. When you build a ramp and the kids put a big ribbon on it, it’s that first time the resident comes out and doesn’t have to bump down the stairs to get into their car,” Gail Bechtoldt said.
“We care if the paint gets on the house, we care if the porch gets repaired, but we really care if the kids build a relationship with the homeowners and teach them it is a kind world out there,” she said.
She said building a wheelchair ramp is no small endeavor. The young adults are given building instructions and are supervised by an adult. They must make sure the ramp complies with the building code and is positioned and constructed properly.
“We have residents return to the program because they want to see the kids back,” Bill Bechtoldt said. “It has been extremely rewarding to have the residents be so thankful. The best thing is that the residents love the kids.”
He referenced a visually impaired gentleman in Middletown who keeps in touch with the young volunteers who made renovations to his home. He said the resident and volunteers “communicate in Braille.”
Bill Bechtoldt said the most rewarding part of the program is “being able to see a house transformed.”
“There was a man who lived alone … and that home had not been painted in 30 years,” he said. “The house was an absolute mess. We had to wash it down, clean it up and repaint it. And then bang! It was beautiful. That is my reward.”
The couple said this year’s program, the ninth to be conducted, has become a community-wide effort that is supported by local organizations and facilities.
“The best thing about volunteering is that you never turn anyone down and you network,” Gail Bechtoldt said. “Everyone has their own gifts and graces and their own value to offer.”
Residents who are interested in the home improvement program must fill out an application by March. The application may be found at www.hazlettwp.org.
