After surveying the destruction caused by Hurricane Irene, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) has reached out to its membership to offer assistance to those affected by the disastrous storm.

“The damage done in New Jersey, particularly the northern part of our state, has been devastating for several of our members,” says AASP/NJ Jeff McDowell. “We are contacting our members to let them know that AASP/NJ is here for them and willing to help in any way we can.”

The AASP/NJ effort was initiated by former AASP/NJ President Glenn Villacari of Parkway Auto Body in Nutley. “Glenn contacted our office and suggested that we reach out to our members,” adds AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant. “He even offered his own personal assistance to other shop owners who might need help cleaning out the muck and debris from their shops.”

Villacari says its natural to offer help when such a disaster strikes. “We are all competitors,” he says, “but at the end of the day we are all trying to survive. To see some of the devastation here in our state is heartbreaking. We, as human beings, should be doing all we can to help others who have been hit hard by Irene. Fortunately, AASP/NJ has the components in place to reach the membership and let them know they are not alone.”

AASP/NJ members who are victims of Hurricane Irene and are in need of any type of assistance should contact AASP/NJ via e-mail at [email protected] or call the AASP/NJ Hot Line at (732) 922-8909

“It’s times like these where we come together as an industry,” McDowell adds. “We are just trying to do our part.”

For more information on NORTHEAST 2012 and AASP/NJ, visit www.aaspnjnortheast.com or www.aaspnj.org.