In Ocean County, transitional sober house honoring late veteran is in the works

LITTLE EGG HARBOR - Larry Robertello always excelled with his hands, from building skateboard ramps as a kid to fixing cars in automotive classes at Southern Regional High School. After enlisting in the Army, he drove tanks during two tours of Iraq from 2001-04.

Robertello was awarded two medals for meritorious service, but when he left the theater of war, it didn’t leave him.

“When he came back he was a little off, a little more quiet,” said Paul Hulse, who grew up with Robertello in Waretown. “Something just didn’t seem right.”

Larry suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, which led to drug addiction and, after three attempts at rehab, an overdose death in April.

“The PTSD got him in the long run,” said his mother, Toms River resident Nancy Robertello.

Hulse channeled his grief into a project that has been atop his to-do list for many years. His nonprofit that advocates for Ocean County’s homeless and at-risk population, Just Believe, is building a transitional home for men trying to overcome addiction. Veterans will be prioritized.

It will be a four-bedroom ranch in Little Egg Harbor, on a donated plot. Right now it’s just land, but the wheels are in motion – an engineer and an architect have been hired.

“I want to honor his legacy,” Hulse said.

He’s calling it “Larry’s Home." The plan is to break ground in May, with residents moving in sometime in 2024. It would be the first place of its kind of Ocean County.

“Larry’s Home is definitely something that’s needed in this area,” Nancy Robertello said. “I know if he could have lived there, he might still be with us today.”

How it's coming together

Just Believe runs Toms River’s Code Blue warming center, which houses the area’s homeless on the coldest nights. Last March, Little Egg Harbor resident Kristi Leary was walking out of a store in Stafford when she saw a teenager curled up on a yoga mat outside, trying to sleep. Upon approaching him, she learned he was homeless and had fled a shelter in Atlantic City.

After a frantic search to find him some help, she connected with Hulse and Just Believe.

“They bent over backwards to help him,” Leary said. “When I got involved in Just Believe, I never realized how difficult it is to get people help.”

Kristi and her husband Bryan Leary own a landscaping business, they possess a few vacant lots, and decided to donate one to the nonprofit. That’s where Larry’s Home is going up.

“Doing a sober-living house is great,” Kristi said. “Family and friends of mine have been down that road before. People come out of rehab and detox with no place to go. I have friends who are veterans and unfortunately suffer from PTSD, friends who came out of the service and started doing drugs.”

Larry’s Home will house up to eight men for 12-month periods. They will have volunteer life coaches, be required to attend recovery meetings and receive help in pursuing employment. Between grants, sponsorships and donations, Just Believe has raised about $100,000 of the necessary $250,000 to get it off the ground, Hulse said. A couple from Berkeley donated a well and septic service, valued at $10,000.

“They’ve been following us,” Hulse said of the couple, “and said they’re inspired by our organization.”

Walking the walk

Brian Britton is the treasurer of Just Believe's board of trustees, and this project is close to his heart.

“I am a recovering addict and pretty much hit rock bottom in 2008,” the Little Egg Harbor resident said. “I also was friends with Larry and I know what struggles he went through – I went through some of the same ones.”

Britton, 42, thinks of all the folks who helped him to his feet. He’s determined to pay it forward.

“I’ll be very involved with Larry’s Home, especially talking to the guys and helping with whatever they need, showing them how to walk the walk because I’m doing that,” he said.

Britton is acutely aware that not everyone welcomes these initiatives in their neighborhood.

“Sometimes these things have a negative connotation, but we look at the other side of it – there are people who need help, and it’s always good to lend a helping hand,” he said.

If Larry’s Home works, Hulse hopes it will change perceptions.

“You’re always going to have push-back; it’s part of the business when you’re doing this,” Hulse said. “For us, this is a start. It gives us the opportunity to show Ocean County not only can you do something (about homelessness), but we’re doing it from the ground up.

“You always hear talk about building this or that. We’re actually putting the pieces together.”

'This spot is for daddy'

Larry Robertello has a 9-year-old son, Chase.

“He always asks me questions about his dad,” Nancy Robertello said.

She hasn’t told him about Larry’s Home yet. There will be a time for that. The child is still coming to terms with his father’s passing. Recently, while dining out, Chase slid over on his bench seat and told his grandma, ‘This spot is for daddy.’”

Eventually Nancy will show him Larry’s Home, a spot that, while not for his dad, will be there in his honor. It's a profound tribute.

For more information, visit www.justbelieveinc.org. Donations for Larry's Home can be mailed to Just Believe Inc at P.O Box 5441, Toms River, NJ, 08754.

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: In Ocean County, transitional sober house honoring veteran in works