Town officials, community leaders, and first responders came together as citizens on Tuesday to discuss how Wareham can help provide relief from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey.

The project is still in its planning and research stage. The group will reconvene Monday at 5 p.m. in room 320 of the Multi-Service Center.

Town Moderator Claire Smith reached out to churches and fire departments in New York and New Jersey to find out what their needs are. She said that she would prefer to work through local organizations, rather than the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for example.

“We want to make direct contact to make sure what we get gets to them,” said Smith.

The group agreed that there is no point in collecting supplies until it knows which community it will be helping, and what the specific needs are.

“Unless you know exactly what they need, it’s a hindrance,” said Selectman Cara Winslow.

The group also discussed whether it would be better to try to help a broad swath of affected individuals, or if it would be better to focus on a specific community.

“We need to pick someplace where we can have an effect,” said Selectman Alan Slavin. “We can’t even begin to touch it all.”

Ralph Dlouhy, operations staff officer for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, agreed that it would be best to “isolate a spot" and focus on helping the residents.

“I think the hardest part is picking a spot," said Wareham resident Rudy Santos, who has family in the affected areas. "Be realistic. What types of things can we gather in one month?”

Dlouhy suggested Rockaway, New York, in part because there is a Coast Guard Auxiliary station there with which the town can coordinate. Although communication systems are still down in many areas, the Coast Guard can communicate with one another and help coordinate relief efforts.

Rockaway is a beachside community off of the southwest tip of Manhattan, and was devastated by Sandy.

“If Rockaway is a place that needs our help, we should go there," Winslow said.

The logistics of collecting and transporting donated items also has to be worked out. Interim Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said he would discuss using the currently vacant Hammond Elementary School in Onset as a storage facility, and members of the Onset Bay Association offered to store supplies at their office.

“I think we all agree that time is of the essence," said Wareham Fire Chief Robert McDuffy. "If we get moving, we can get this off the ground swiftly.”

Winslow said she watched in horror as her Facebook "feed" became filled with increasingly desperate updates from friends in New Jersey. One family in particular was forced to relinquish their pets when they were evacuated, and Winslow said she hoped to help pets who were affected by the storm.

“It could just as easily have been us," Winslow noted. "It’s been us in the past, and it may be us in the future."