Lacey Veteran Organizes Aid For Barnegat Light Coast Guard

Lacey resident Pete Donahue served the Coast Guard at Barnegat Light for several years. With the Coast Guard's paychecks in limbo during the federal government shutdown, he's not done serving.

Donahue has led several fundraising initiatives during the shutdown. He created a GoFundMe called "Feed The Coast Guard." He collected donations for ShopRite gift cards for U.S. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light. He spent last weekend shoveling snow and donating the contributions to Barnegat Light's Coast Guard branch.

His efforts helped raise $1,150 in ShopRite gift cards. Donahue thanked residents of Forked River, Lanoka Harbor, Bamber Lake, Waretown, Bayville and Manahawkin for their donations.

"These men and women will get backpay, and most banking institutions are being lenient, so where they can use the most help is in the form of gift cards for food and fuel," Donahue said.

Donahue served four years of active duty at various locations and four years as a reservist at Barnegat Light. His GoFundMe, which launched Saturday, has raised $395. He set the fundraising goal to $10,000.

If the federal government reopens before the GoFundMe campaign ends, Donahue will transfer donations to the United States Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Fund and United States Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Officers Association.

"The time has come where those who would travel into a hurricane in order to get us home safely to our families, need rescuing," Donahue wrote on the GoFundMe. "Let's not let them down."

Donahue also wrote a plea to lawmakers, from a nautical perspective, urging them to fund the Coast Guard's pay.

"You’re in distress. Such is the case, thousands of times a year upon the open ocean, and guess who comes to the rescue?" Donahue wrote. The men and women of The United States Coast Guard, whether they are getting paid or not. So here is where I would like you to pause for just a moment and ask yourself: 'Where is that magnetic field of my heart trying to lead me at this very moment?' As your compass, I urge you to follow your heart back to DC and do the right thing, fund the Coast Guard paychecks."

Photo: Renee Schiavone/Patch