NJ Labor law limits volunteer help for Sandy relief
Jul. 2, 2013 6:05 AM
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Age wasn’t a factor in the random acts of kindness across the Jersey Shore after superstorm Sandy.
Thousands of volunteers, from young kids tagging along with their parents to retired adults helping their neighbors, have poured across the Jersey Shore to help the storm’s victims recover.
Countless more might have come this summer, except for one thing: They’d be breaking the law.
A state statute now under review by state officials prohibits anyone under age 18 from coming within 30 feet of construction work. While there is an exception for helping nonprofit organizations with affordable housing, no such exception currently exists for disaster relief.
“It’s a shame,” said Jessica Kerr, an 18-year-old who hoped to spend her seventh summer of construction-based mission trips at the Shore. “There’s a lot of work that can be done in New Jersey, and people who are able and willing aren’t allowed to help.”