The Sea Girt Real Estate Owners Group wanted door-to-door solicitations curtailed in the Borough. The people of Sea Girt were both relatively wealthy and charitable, and they made wonderful targets for door-to-door campaigns. The social organizations, the Community Club, the Holly Club, the Fire Company, St Uriel’s, and St. Mark’s were all dedicated to helping others within and outside of the community. They often collected money from their neighbors or ran card parties and other fundraisers for other charities.
The Fitkin Hospital in Neptune, with its roots in the Ann May Hospital in Spring Lake, and the Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Howell were popular targets for philanthropy.
Door-to-door sales were very effective in the more trusting era, and people often opened their homes to strangers only to find them pushing Fuller Brushes, World Book Encyclopedia sets, “Johnny them needs for school,” or vacuum cleaners they did not know they needed. Salesmen were trained to call when wives were likely home alone.
The Fuller Brush Man was well known
As the techniques worked, less scrupulous operators moved into the business. The FTC warned that hucksters who got their foot in the door often operated under false pretences, pretending to be fire officials and health inspectors. Some sold unneeded insurance, and others would inspect a furnace, remove parts, and then declare a fire hazard, prompting the sale of a new furnace.
They encouraged homeowners to ask visitors for ID and check the company with the Better Business Bureau if they suspect anything. They warned against signing anything, as ‘no obligation credit checks’ often were promissory notes that the salesman would resell to others. Towns responded with ordinances to limit door knock sales.
The Community Appeal Selected easily recognized charities for their first Appeal
Mayor Doyle suggested an alternative to the group, and they ran with it. They formed a new organization, The Sea Girt Community Appeal. Charities could apply to the Community Appeal, the volunteers would do a single solicitation to the entire town. The residents could bundle their charity into one check, and allocate it to their specific causes.
Residents would not be bothered with all of the regular solicitations, and the impact of neighbors rallying others to be charitable would encourage community pride and help defray the need for individual charities to maintain staff for donations. Members elected J. Emery Dedrick as President.
Scouting handbook 1959
There were some issues to iron out. Saint Mark’s pastor Rev M. J. Thornton asked the Catholics in town to avoid donating to the Appeal in 1959, because they had left out the Catholic Children’s Relief Fund, and over half of the 1,900 residents of Sea Girt were Roman Catholic.
The Appeal, in an effort to list major charities, wanted charities in their first appeal with a national health recognition, and the Catholic charity did not meet the standard. They directed the money to the Red Cross, the American Heart Association, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts. Mrs. Henrietta Wooley the fundraising chair, set a target of $6,000 which the town easily met.
Boy Scout 1959 handbook
The Appeal continued to grow its cumulative donations, and envelope-stuffing parties were an annual affair in town, with the appeal starting at the end of the summer, followed up by canvassers.
There did not seem to be further complaints from St. Mark’s. Participation from residents was high, and they also continued to support the church and their traditional charities.
The Mayor and Council made declarations of support over the years, and respected members of the community volunteered, making membership in the appeal a source of pride.
While many other towns lost their enthusiasm for the effort, the Sea Girt Community Appeal is still going strong, collecting over $50,000 per year for their researched charities. The process is a bit modernized but still uses paper letters and envelopes.
Most selected charities are now local, “Locals Helping Locals,” and they have surpassed $1.2 million in contributions. Members enjoy getting together with other townspeople with whom they might never socialize otherwise, and the spirit is very congenial.
They are always looking for new members to help research charities and organize the collection efforts.
The volunteers of the appeal have a lot of laughs together (Sea Girt Community Appeal Website)
65 years later, the charities for 2024 were: Alzheimer's Association Greater New Jersey, Algonquin Arts Theatre, Boys and Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, Common Ground Grief Center, Fulfill FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Joan Dancy & PALS (people with ALS) Foundation, Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation (in memory of MaryAnn Appostolou), Kindness Cafe on Main, New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc., The Rae of Light Foundation (in memory of Jillian Rae Ludwig), Friends of the Sea Girt Library.
https://www.seagirtcommunityappeal.org/