Editing Ocean Grove, New Jersey (section)

==Hurricane Sandy==
In 2012, [[Hurricane Sandy]] caused extensive damage in Ocean Grove. Over half of the town's boardwalk was destroyed, and the town's fishing pier was significantly damaged.<ref name=today>{{cite news |last=Wanko |first=Lauren |title=As Shore Towns Repair Boardwalks, Ocean Grove at a Standstill Because of FEMA's Denial |url=http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/as-shore-towns-repair-boardwalks-ocean-grove-at-a-standstill-because-of-femas-denial/ |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=NJ Today |date=March 20, 2013}}</ref> Ocean Grove was denied [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] funding because the Camp Meeting Association is a nonprofit organization. While nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive FEMA funding, Ocean Grove was denied funding because the boardwalk was classified as being used solely for recreational purposes.<ref name=fema>{{cite news |last=Di Ionno |first=Mark |title=Despite FEMA denial, Ocean Grove bands together for Sandy rebuilding |url=http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2013/04/ocean_groves_pulls_together_af.html |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=April 22, 2013}}</ref> The town formed a group called "Together" to address storm recovery. The group includes the Camp Meeting Association, the chamber of commerce, the homeowners association, the beautification committee, the historic society, the fishing club, and Ocean Grove United, a gay and lesbian group.<ref name=fema/><ref name=spotlight>{{cite news |last=Chesler |first=Caren |title=FEMA Won't Fund New Boardwalk for Ocean Grove |url=http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/02/07/fema-won-t-fund-new-boardwalk-for-ocean-grove/ |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=NJ Spotlight |date=February 8, 2013}}</ref>

Hurricane repairs were estimated to cost $3.5 million.<ref name=today/> The "Together" campaign raised $1.5 million, including $750,000 for the boardwalk, $100,000 for the roof of the Great Auditorium, and $500,000 for architectural and structural repairs to Thornley Chapel. The Camp Meeting Association appealed FEMA's funding rejection three times.<ref>{{cite news |last=Panissidi |first=Anthony |title=Ocean Grove tries again to gain FEMA funding |url=http://www.app.com/article/20131021/NJNEWS/310210056/Ocean-Grove-tries-again-gain-FEMA-funding |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=Asbury Park Press |date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> Federal officials also denied the Camp Meeting Association's request for funding in the wake of [[Hurricane Irene]].<ref name=spotlight/><ref>{{cite news |last=Bowman |first=Bill |title=Feds say no to N.J. boardwalk request |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/07/sandy-boardwalk-money-denied/1898803/ |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=USA Today |date=February 7, 2013}}</ref>

In 2013, members of the gay-rights group Ocean Grove United and the OGCMA joined up to co-sponsor an event aimed at raising funds to rebuild Ocean Grove's hurricane-damaged boardwalk.<ref>{{cite news |last=Walton |first=Mary |title=Methodists and gay residents reconcile at Ocean Grove fund-raiser |url=http://www.articles.philly.com/2013-07-23/news/40729787_1_camp-meeting-pavilion-town |access-date=December 30, 2013 |newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028160542/http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-23/news/40729787_1_camp-meeting-pavilion-town |archive-date=October 28, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The third appeal by OGCMA to FEMA, supported by some New Jersey politicians, was accepted. As MaryAnn Spoto elucidated on NJ.com in 2014: "The storm destroyed about a third of Ocean Grove's nearly half-mile of boardwalk.... FEMA's $2.3 million to Ocean Grove includes $1.13 million for that project as well as money for three other recovery projects."<ref>Spoto, MaryAnn. [https://www.nj.com/monmouth/2014/07/ocean_grove_boardwalk_a_miracle_project_after_twice_denied_fema_funding.html "Ocean Grove boardwalk called a 'miracle' project after FEMA funding was denied twice"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], July 3, 2014. Accessed August 29, 2022.</ref>