By STEVE PRISAMENT
Staff Writer

PORT REPUBLIC – Carl Wilson Jr. had a $70,000-a-year job a year ago. Now he earns $9 an hour working part-time.

And he won’t be back to work for a while after being badly burned trying to put out a fire that gutted his home here across the street from the Port Republic School on Wednesday, March 5.

“I have no health insurance and no homeowner’s insurance,” Wilson said Monday, March 10. “I was laid off and lost my health insurance. Then I couldn’t afford the other.”

Wilson, who lives with his daughter Becki and 1-year-old granddaughter Chloe, is now counting on others to help.

“I have my pride,” he said. “But this really isn’t a time for that. We need the help.”

Luckily for Wilson, he’s always been among the first to pitch in and help others.

“That’s what my friends are telling me,” he said. “What goes around, comes around. It’s my turn to receive.

People are coming through for us.”

Mayor Gary Giberson and City Councilwoman Doris Bugdon have begun collecting donations and have a fundraiser scheduled. And Wilson’s uncle is heading up a project to renovate a second house on Wilson’s property that has been vacant for years.

Jesse Leeds, Wilson’s uncle, is spearheading the project to renovate a home for his nephew.

A lifelong resident of Galloway Township, Leeds said Monday, March 10 that he has the carpentry and labor already covered by volunteers who know Wilson and remember him always being involved when it was others in need.

“I am heading up a group of volunteers to aid in the renovation of the Wilson home right next to the one destroyed in the fire,” Leeds said. “I am going to need a lot of help and I am seeking volunteers in all trades.”

Leeds said the home will require extensive renovation and costly materials.

“We are asking local businesses and suppliers to assist in making this happen,” he said. “We are going to need everything from the ground up – heating, HVAC, plumbing, electricity, framing, etc.”

Job 1 is clearing the building, the older and larger of two homes owned by the Wilson family for generations.

“We need to get everything out of the old home as it has become a storage place for several years,” Leeds said. “Right now we are working on getting dumpsters on site to remove all debris from the interior of the old house in order to be able to make a material list to make the old home livable.”

Volunteers keep lining up.

“So far I have had several people in the trades volunteer for labor to do the work,” Leeds said. “I can be contacted at my home, (609) 748-1016, cell (609) 204-8658, or email jessme418@aol.com.”

He said groups are coming to Wilson’s aid as well.

“My nephew has always been there when others where in need,” Leeds said. “He is a member of Absecon Salt Water Sportsmen, who every year hold fishing tournaments to benefit the American Cancer Foundation.

“They also have a fishing tournament that takes children with learning disabilities and special needs children fishing,” he said. “Just last year, he was one of many volunteers who set up a fundraiser to raise money for our good friend John Cohen who was run over and killed by another boat while fishing. And the list goes on and on.”

Leeds said now it’s Wilson’s turn to receive some help.

“This man needs help now,” he said. “The family lost everything in this fire and they do not have insurance to cover their losses.”

Wilson said he doesn’t expect to be down for long.

“I need help right now,” he said. “Soon I’ll be back on the other end of it – helping others.”

Led by Giberson and Bugdon, Port Republic residents are helping to make that happen.

“The first thing we’re looking for are monetary donations,” Bugdon said Friday, March 7. “We’ve established a bank account.”

And she has a fundraiser scheduled to help the family that lived in the house Wilson’s father built.

“It’s the Carl (Skip) Wilson Benefit,” Port Republic City Councilwoman Bugdon said. “It will be a coffee and dessert reception on Tuesday, April 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.”

There will be no admission fee to the event at the Port Republic Firehouse.

“We will accept donations – monetary or gift cards to places like Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s,” she said. “It can be whatever anyone wishes to donate.”

Cards for the home improvement retailers can be used toward items needed in the home renovation.

Checks should be made out to the Carl Wilson Jr. Benefit Fund, Bugdon said.

Donations can be dropped off or mailed to City Hall at 143 Main St., Port Republic, NJ 08241.

Anyone wanting to donate or help with the firehouse fundraiser can call Bugdon at (609) 652-1352 or Mayor Gary Giberson at (609) 652-0366.