Red Bank Businesses Offer a Helping Hand

With most Red Bank residents still without power but with the borough's downtown mostly electrified as of Friday, businesses throughout town are doing their best to help out, whether that means offering an electrical outlet or two, providing information to the public, and even collecting supplies for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Front Street business Sounds to Go DJs has teamed up with other Red Bank businesses and non-profit organization Move for Hunger to collect and distribute food and other items to Sandy victims in coastal towns. Using their office as a collection center, Sounds to Go had plenty of volunteers on hand Friday collecting everything from canned goods, to clothing, and toiletries.

According to Chris Paseka of Sugarush, which has been updating the public through Facebook on which downtown businesses are open and providing helpful services, the items collected are being delivered on a regular basis to towns like Monmouth Beach throughout the day meaning your donations have an immediate impact.

Sounds to Go at 21 E. Front Street is collecting items throughout the day and this weekend.

Tonight, Red restaurant on Broad Street is hosting a donation drive with a $5 food menu, happy hour drink specials, and a DJ. Donations and supplies collected at Red will also be donated to Move for Hunger.

"With the compounded issues of gas and water shortages, and a possible nor'easter next week, it is vital we band together as a community right now," Move for Hunger's Ashley George said in a release. "We're depending on the whole community to help neighbors in need."

Other businesses in town are offering help, too.

Many Galleria businesses are open and inviting visitors to charge their electronic devices in store. So too is Lucky Break Billiards on Front Street, which also boasts free wi-fi connectivity for those who stop in.

The proprietors of Posh Pop Bakeshop are inviting customers to stop by for a cupcake and to charge their cell phones and other electronic devices while enjoying Ricky's Candy, Cones and Chaos's free wi-fi now until electricity comes back.

YesterCades is open and inviting customers to charge up and David Prown of Prown's on Monmouth Street said he's been inviting residents to charge their devices since power returned on Thursday. So far, he estimates 150 residents have been able to charge their devices at Prown's.

In addition to local businesses, Two River Theater and Red Bank Public Library have made their buildings accessible to the powerless and will continue to do so until power is restored.

Friday, four days after Hurricane Sandy descended on New Jersey's shores, many in Red Bank and Shrewsbury are still without power. Much of downtown Red Bank, as well as a few branching neighborhoods, have power thanks to Jersey Central Power and Lights' focus on getting the grid that powers much of the downtown and Riverview Medical Center up and running.

If you know of a business or area location inviting residents to charge up, feel free to let us know below.