ABOUT THE
Beach Badge FUND
Quality time at the beach is a beloved pastime for New Jersey families
Unfortunately, beach access is financially inaccessible for many local families. Over 1 in 4 year-round Asbury Park residents live below the poverty line. Many cannot afford to purchase badges and have to risk going to the beach after-hours when badges are no longer required, but lifeguards are off duty.
The Beach Badge Fund was started as a way for us to come together as neighbors and ensure that everyone in our community has access to a safe beach.
“I want everyone to enjoy the beach”
— Founder, Lisa Cramp
-
We believe our local beaches should be accessible to ALL of our neighbors.
Our mission is to provide beach badges to those who otherwise could not afford them, and prevent potentially dangerous after-hours, unguarded, swimming.
-
The Asbury Park Beach Badge Fund is a community-led mutual aid network. We work with local nonprofit partners, local business sponsors, and a small team of volunteers to organize fundraisers and distribute badges, but the heart of this organization is our community.
-
The Asbury Park Community Beach Badge Fundraiser was established by Lisa Cramp in 2018, when she began to notice a trend while working at a bar in the boardwalk and beach area.
Lisa noticed that many families would wait until after the beach staff went home for the day.
After hours, when badge checkers and life guards would leave for the day, underprivileged families and teens could enjoy the beach for free…In turn, they ran the risk of swimming in the ocean without professional supervision.