The words are thought-provoking: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
Written by Napoleon Hill, one of our nation’s first self-help authors, they can be applied to an upcoming Oct. 5 episode of television’s popular “George to the Rescue” show.
The George of the show’s title is George Oliphant. For the last 15 years, Oliphant has brought together builders, designers, landscapers and other talent to refresh, renovate and restore homes for deserving families around the country.
The show is a Daytime Emmy winner, and, in an age of television shows coming and going with head-spinning speed, “George to the Rescue” is approaching its 175th episode.
In the episode that will air at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 5 on WNBC and also be available on Peacock, Oliphant and his team renovate the home of the Herrlich family in Middletown not long after the family suffered a severe and tragic blow.
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Ryan and Sara Herrlich married on New Year’s Eve 2012. Ryan Herrlich had recently completed service in the Marines. He enlisted at the age of 23 and served in such faraway places as Mongolia, Iraq and Norway. When he returned home, he secured a job at the Phillips 66 Bayway facility.
The Herrlichs moved to Middletown in 2015 and would have three children. But, their idyllic existence came crashing down in February 2023, when Ryan Herrlich died suddenly from a viral infection at the age of 41.
Friends, family and coworkers at Phillips 66 were shocked. One coworker was Scott Glass.
“We did not know each other in the Marines, but when Ryan came to work here, we realized we had common experiences, beginning with our service in the Corps,” he said. “Turns out, when my family moved to Middletown, our families were living close to one another. Ryan was an exceptional leader at work, and he was one of those guys who always had a smile.”
Glass, who volunteers with the Craig Newmark New York Chapter of Blue Star Families, approached Erica Newhouse, the executive director of the chapter, to discuss how they might help the Herrlichs. Blue Star Families is a nationwide nonprofit started by military spouses to help improve the quality of life for active-duty, veterans and their families.
“I had a connection who put me in touch with the producers of ‘George to the Rescue,’” Newhouse said. “When I explained the Herrlichs’ situation, the producers said they were interested.”
After Newhouse confirmed the show’s interest, Glass brought the opportunity of the house remodeling to Sara Herrlich.
“I was definitely interested,” she said, “but they do so many large renovations, I didn’t think anything would happen.”
She remembers a turning point.
“At one point, the producers said they might not be able to schedule this renovation, but they wanted to come out with cameras and do some interviews with my three children and with me in case the renovation happened. While the producers were here, George Oliphant appeared at our front door with a cameraman, and we found out that we had been selected for the renovation. It was such a surprise and so cool.”
“I was so impressed by George. He was so genuine and so kind in telling our story. I appreciated that he put no pressure on us, as I wanted to protect my kids from answering questions they might not be comfortable with.”
The three Herrlich children are 9-year-old twins Hunter and Carly and 6-year-old Harper.
According to mom, Hunter really likes science and math and, last year, he learned to juggle. He is also the gamer in the family. Carly loves to dance and Harper, who also likes dancing, is already displaying a sharp sense of humor.
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The renovation of the Herrlich home began in June.
The husband-and-wife team of Lisa and Rick Cressman were brought into the project by the producers of “George to the Rescue.”
The couple have their own business called Evenflow Interiors, located in Brick Township.
Lisa Cressman leads the design efforts and Rick Cressman manages the construction division of the company. This allows Evenflow Interiors to offer clients a complete design, build and furnish package.
Lisa said they began by putting together a scope-of-work and a timeline, all of which was focused on “meeting the family’s needs.”
The Herrlichs’ is a single-family, three-bedroom bilevel house built in the 1950s. The scope of work focused on renovating the garage, the playroom and the master bedroom.
As Lisa and Rick Cressman plowed into their work, they had to do much of it with cameras on site recording their work and their conversations.
“I am not used to having a camera in my face,” said Rick, “but the ‘George to the Rescue’ crew made us feel very comfortable.”
During the renovation, many people chipped in — employees of Phillips 66 who joined with Glass, neighbors of the Herrlichs and active-military volunteers, to name a few.
“The way they came out to help was a great testament to the military community,” said Newhouse, “and the local community, too. One of Blue Star Families’ missions is to engage and encourage communities to do their part to make military families feel at home. This community stepped up in a really big way.”
Rick Cressman agreed.
“From our original scope of work, the job ballooned to include landscaping and tree work and other furnishings because so many vendors donated materials or time to the project.”
“We were out of the house for six weeks,” Sara Herrlich said. “We stayed at hotels. It was like a family adventure.”
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The renovation work finished on schedule, allowing “George to the Rescue” to bring the Herrlich family back to their home for the big reveal June 28. The reveal will be the highlight of the Oct. 5 episode.
“We got there not knowing what to expect at all,” Sara Herrlich said. “The first thing I saw was the new front yard. A local company donated new driveway pavers, and a landscaping company donated a new walkway. It made the front of the house so warm and inviting.”
Helping hands
The following companies helped Evenflow Interiors on “George to the Rescue” by donating products or services to the remodeling of the Herrlich family’s home:
- A Designer Move LLC, Tinton Falls, moving services
- Barten Brothers Junk Removal, Point Pleasant, demolition work
- Bella Systems Custom Closets, Eatontown, closets
- Coastal Roots Landscaping, Middletown, landscaping work
- Dawson Drywall, Toms River, drywall
- Earth Scapes Landscape & Outdoor Living, Manasquan, landscape work
- Eureka Electric Service, Toms River, electrical service
- Fritz’s Tree Service, Red Bank, landscaping work
- Good Guys Garage Door Service, Helmetta, garage door
- Jaeger Lumber, Belmar, building materials
- Michael Lamb Paint & Wallpapering, Long Branch, painting services
- Patricia Pitt, South Brunswick, window treatments
- Premier Electronic Solutions, Toms River, A/V products
- Ramtown Carpet One Floor & Home, Wall Township, carpets
- Ryser’s Landscape Supply, Little Silver, pavers
- Trimtone Woodworks LLC, Farmingdale, trim work
The first stop on the reveal for Sara Herrlich and her family was the garage.
“What they did was amazing. The garage had been a storage area, and it was a mess,” she said. “New garage doors were donated, and Evenflow Interiors added a padded floor, televisions and a ballet bar. It was like adding a whole new room to the house.”
“We turned the garage into a kid-gathering place,” Lisa Cressman.
Sara Herrlich confirmed it has become a popular spot with the neighborhood kids.
Next came the playroom.
“The playroom was tough,” Sara Herrlich said, “because that is where we went to watch movies and TV with Ryan as a family. After Ryan passed, no one really wanted to go down there. Lisa transformed the whole feel of the room. On one side was a new television and Nintendo Switch customized for my son Hunter. The other side of the room was done beautifully, with lights and family pictures on the wall.”
Next was the bedroom.
“I was making some changes in the bedroom when the producers contacted me, so I already had a new bed and dresser. I asked Lisa to keep them in her new design and she did it beautifully.”
The Cressmans were hiding in one of the home’s interior rooms during the reveal.
“When they brought in the family and took them through the house, we could hear the reactions, and the kids screams,” Lisa Cressman said. “It was wonderful. A lot of the volunteers showed up that day. There was such great energy.”
“It became such an easy project,” reflected Newhouse, who was also present for the reveal. “George and his team were so generous, and they brought all the right talent into the project.”
“This was like no other job we had,” Lisa Cressman said. “It was weird in a way, at first, because we wanted to do an absolute top-notch job for this client. We would absolutely do it again. It was a great experience.
“A couple of weeks after the project ended, Sara was texting me happy faces. That is what the residual effect of our work meant to them.”
“It was incredible gratifying,” Rick Cressman agreed.
There was one last renovation made in the backyard.
“The landscaper weeded and mulched the garden,” said Sara, “and added a new bench with a memorial to Ryan. Now, it is one of my favorite places to go.”
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Sara Herrlich remains appreciative of all the support she and her family received.
“I can’t say enough about Blue Star Families,” she said. “They were so kind and generous to my family, and the people at Phillips 66 and Evenflow designers and all of the companies that donated their time or products. All this support means so much. It is what keeps you going.”
Sara Herrlich said she is still tying up loose ends since her husband’s unexpected death. She attends sessions at Stephy’s Place in Red Bank, a grief counseling support center.
“I am still figuring out what life without Ryan looks like,” she said.
