Central Regional Teacher Heads To Florida To Help During Helene

BERKELEY, NJ — Mark Haug lost his home in Ocean Gate to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Now, nearly 12 years later, he's packed up his things to head down to Florida in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Haug, a wilderness survival teacher at Central Regional High School, has done this plenty of times before through his charity “Hold On, I’m Coming.” The charity helps victims of natural disasters by offering them a hot meal, cold bottled water and supplies, even before charities like the American Red Cross arrive. “I just want to try to make recovery a bit easier for people,” he said in a district news release.

He has the support of the school district, including Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder, who lets him take last-minute days off to rush off to disasters, and supportive students and faculty, who help him with fundraisers for his charity.

“Mark is leaving Friday morning,” CarneyRay-Yoder said. “Our staff is always making an effort to help others as our school district encourages an environment of giving. That is the culture of Central Regional.”

Haug always has a mission when he packs up and leaves in a matter of hours. “I know what it feels like to live through a natural disaster,” he said. “I know how it feels to lose so much in an instant. I know the feeling of dread wondering ‘how am I going to get my family through this?’”

He heads right into the hardest hit areas with plenty of supplies, hot dogs, and even a charging station and some music to dull the sounds of the generators and chainsaws. “I can also be a shoulder to cry on. I am a teacher, a lifeguard, and a coach. My entire life has been about helping and teaching. I live for the rush of helping others.”

“Hold On, I’m Coming” was created in honor of those who helped Haug out during Sandy. The experience shaped his view of natural disasters and made him better understand what survivors of other national disasters such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes must go through.

“I lost my house in Sandy, and I had a lot of people help me get back on my feet,” Haug said. “One day, I decided that now is the time to try to do something (to help others), so I came up with the idea for my charity. "He recalls how a man dropped by his house after the hurricane as Haug was cleaning up and offered Haug a cup of hot coffee. That cup inspired Haug, who got a trailer, and loaded it up with what people might need. So far, he has helped 4,500 people in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky.

“A lot of people do not realize that cold water and Gatorade go a long way with people cleaning up their house,” he said. Many do not have running water or electricity, so he sets himself up near an emergency relief center and usually gets there a few days before the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross.

Haug said he cannot believe how many friends he has made all over the country. He is now on his way to making some more.