Jake and Nate Dempsey

Jake and Nate Dempsey

Jake and Nate Dempsey have started own Community Service Organization this summer. The organization is called Beach Buddy. I’ve attached the flyer that Jake produced and distributed. He was also in charge of marketing it and recruiting his fellow lifeguards and friends to be “Buddies.” Jake was also the first Beach Buddy. Nate, (too young to be certified as a lifeguard this summer ) was a Buddy Helper and would Buddy up with Jake or another guard when necessary. Nate also created the website. Jake will be creating and distributing a News Letter this winter to recap the 2018 Summer and prep for 2019. We also just became an LLC. Two of the Buddies, besides Jake and Nate, from Saint Rose High School, are Brenna Harold and Caitlin Clayton.

About the Program

Beach Buddy's motto is, "Everyone has a friend at the Jersey Shore!"

Beach Buddy is a program for any parent who has a child with special needs ranging in approximate age of 4 to 30. Parents can contact Beach Buddy and schedule two hours of one on one Buddy Time, free of cost, for their child with special needs. We provide a free daily badge for the parents and any child over the age of 12. Beach Buddies meet the family at the beach ready to play.  They will dig in the sand, seashell hunt, play in the water, Frisbee toss, have a catch.  Whatever the child wants to do and the parents must be present. The response was incredible. Many families traveled more than an hour for their session. Parents told us that they don’t have the energy to keep up with their child at the beach; They told us that they feel alienated in public sometimes and having the Beach Buddies there made them feel included. We heard from some that it was just nice to see their child have a friend at the beach. Afterward… we most commonly heard, “That was the best beach day of my life.” J

The Coast Star ran a short story about Beach Buddy this summer, take a look here.

Jake & Nate's mom said, "Thank you for instilling in our children the importance and drive to do for neighbors and the community."

https://beachbudsl.weebly.com/

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