Words

Taking Care of My People

During the storm I stayed with my two sons. One is 22 and he spent his time with friends outside, and the other is 36 and autistic. He stayed in the house that entire period of time, except once to get money with me at the bank. As for me, I stayed and walked 17…

The Frightening Evening With No Power

I had just gotten on to my bunk bed, pulled up my blanket up to my head. Too frightened to sleep, I carefully pulled the covers off me and looked out the window. I saw the floating water, rising. I froze. I was too scared to speak/sleep. I sat down. Shivering, I got down from…

The Time In Between

We first met Turner in the People’s Pantry, a community relief center in Toms River, New Jersey. Housed in a cavernous 20,000 square-foot storefront in a suburban shopping plaza on Fischer Boulevard, the Pantry has become a permanent fixture of the community. Like many other middle-class residents in limbo, Turner first came to the Pantry…

The Floating Kitchen

My brother-in-law, Thomas Perone, runs a company in Brooklyn he's spent the last few years building up from nothing. In the storm last week, he lost his kitchen and everything in it, when Red Hook was flooded. His business was totally wiped out. Since then, he's been using borrowed supplies, neighbors' kitchens, and donated food…

Greetings After the Storm

We lost electricity as of about 8pm last night. We were forewarned, so have flashlights, battery operated candles, and lots of water ready. We also have a tiny battery operated radio that helps keep us in the loop. In addition, Phil got 2 car batteries with a converter to give us a limited amount of…