Who We Are
Hope Works at the Shore is an independent nonprofit supporting individuals and families affected by addiction — people in recovery, and the parents, partners and children who love them — whether a loved one is still struggling, in treatment, or rebuilding life after it.
How We Began
A mother calling one more number for her son. A husband trying to understand what comes after rehab. A sister wondering how to help without making things worse. Again and again we heard the same thing: “There's help out there. Where do we even start?”
The help existed. What was missing was someone to walk with people through it — especially after treatment ends, when the real work of finding a job, managing money and rebuilding trust at home begins.
That's the gap Hope Works was created to fill: practical support for people in recovery, and real support of their own for the families who love them — wherever their loved one is on the journey.
When addiction touches one person, it touches the whole family. So we support the whole family.
Years of groundwork
Long before Hope Works had a name, our founders were volunteering in 12-step recovery programs and walking alongside families — and seeing how often people fell through the gaps after treatment.
A community comes together
A conversation with Sea Bright's mayor grew into an annual recovery festival, where families could meet dozens of local resources in one afternoon.
2025
An independent nonprofit forms to carry that connection through the whole year — not just one weekend in the fall.
Today
Workshops, peer groups and one-on-one support in Sea Bright for people in recovery and their families — with a team that keeps learning from every person and family who walks through the door.
What Guides Us
To walk alongside individuals in recovery by providing holistic, practical support that empowers healing, builds independence, and restores dignity through employment readiness, financial wellness, peer support, and community connection.
A Jersey Shore where recovery doesn't fall apart the moment treatment ends — where people in recovery are employed, financially stable, housed, connected, and thriving.
Parents, partners and children carry so much, often quietly — whether their loved one is still struggling, in treatment or in recovery. They deserve guidance and support of their own.
No one is a case file here. We meet people where they are, without judgment, and celebrate every step forward.
Some of us are in recovery ourselves. That shared understanding shapes how we listen, lead groups and show up for each other.
We aren't a treatment provider. We help people and families find — and stay connected to — trusted organizations across Monmouth County.
Stronger Together
Each fall, organizations from across the region set up side by side in Sea Bright so people and families can meet the help that's available — face to face, with no appointment and no pressure. Recent festival participants have included:
Plus recovery organizations, family support groups, local government and residents from across the region.
About the FestivalOur Team
Business, social work and community backgrounds — including lived experience of recovery — working together so no person, and no family, on the Shore has to find their way alone.
Founder, Hope Works at the Shore | Pastor, Sea Bright United Methodist Church
For Michael Turner, Hope Works at the Shore grew from decades of service in the Jersey Shore community. A longtime Jersey Shore resident and father of four, Michael has served as pastor of Sea Bright United Methodist Church since 2011, following ten years at Grace United Methodist Church in Union Beach as a Youth Minister and Lay Leader. Through years of pastoral care and community work, he has seen both the challenges of addiction and the importance of having people and resources around as someone rebuilds their life.
For nearly two decades, Michael has also volunteered at East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, leading a 12-step recovery program for incarcerated men affected by addiction. Through this work and his ministry, he saw the same challenge repeatedly: help existed, but people often did not know where to find it, how to navigate it, or where to turn when treatment ended and the difficult work of rebuilding a life began.
He also saw how deeply addiction affects families. Parents, spouses, siblings, and loved ones are often the people searching for answers, making phone calls, navigating services, responding to setbacks, and trying to support someone they love — frequently without enough guidance or support of their own.
Michael began bringing those different parts of the recovery community together. A conversation with Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly helped launch what became the annual Fall Freedom Festival, connecting people and families with recovery organizations, treatment and healthcare providers, community groups, local government, faith communities, and other resources from across the region.
The festival demonstrated something important: there was help in the community, but there was still a gap between the resources that existed and the people who needed them.
In 2025, Michael founded Hope Works at the Shore to help close that gap and carry the work beyond a single annual event.
His vision focuses especially on what happens after the immediate crisis or treatment ends. Recovery does not stop when someone leaves a program. Building a stable life can mean finding employment, managing finances, securing housing, rebuilding relationships, reconnecting with community, and accessing ongoing support that helps sustain recovery over time.
Hope Works at the Shore was created to help individuals and families navigate that journey by connecting them with practical resources, peer and community support, and trusted organizations throughout Monmouth County.
Michael speaks openly about addiction because he believes stigma and isolation can keep people from asking for help — and can leave families feeling that they have to carry the burden alone.
For Michael, Hope Works at the Shore is a continuation of the work he has been doing for years: bringing people, families, resources, and community together so that no one has to navigate recovery alone.
Program Director / Board Member, Hope Works at the Shore
Andrew brings a unique blend of corporate and clinical perspective to his work in the recovery community. With over 20 years of experience in finance and technology, he built a career in corporate America before a personal calling led him to pursue a Master's degree in Social Work with a concentration in clinical psychology in 2018, with the goal of becoming a licensed therapist. Andrew is also a person in long-term recovery, an experience that grounds his work with a deep, personal understanding of the disease of addiction and the path toward healing. Today, Andrew continues his corporate career while devoting his time outside of work to giving back — serving as a board member and director of Hope Works at the Shore dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by addiction. He is passionate about bridging the worlds of business and behavioral health, bringing both strategic insight and genuine compassion to his mission of helping others find recovery and hope.
Andrew's day to day responsibilities involve running the general operations, fundraising, outreach, technology as well as running educational and didactic groups with those within the Center. Andrew also helps those in need with learning and understanding the basics of financial literacy, resume and interview preparation and anything that the organization warrants as a need. Andrew currently holds a Bachelors Degree in Business from Slippery Rock University, his MSW from Monmouth University and has completed his CCAR training through Brookdale College. Andrew has also completed more then 4000 clinical hours to complete his MSW.
Program Director / Board Member, Hope Works at the Shore
Angelica is a Program Director and Board Member at Hope Works at the Shore, where she helps shape the workshops and recovery programs at the heart of our mission. She works directly with people seeking help and support, connecting them with the resources, community and encouragement they need on their path to recovery. Angelica is passionate about building a place in our Shore community where no one has to find their way alone.
Technology & Operations Support
Eva supports Hope Works at the Shore behind the scenes, managing the organization's website, email, data systems and technology tools. She built our website so that people looking for help can easily find resources, programs and ways to get involved. Eva believes good technology should quietly make it easier for people to help each other, so our team can spend more time on what matters most: the people we serve.
And a growing circle of volunteers.Neighbors, families and people in recovery who give their time — setting up the festival, welcoming newcomers, and simply showing up.
Join UsTake the Next Step
Reach out for yourself or a family member, give your time as a volunteer, or support our work with a gift.
