Sunshine greeted us this morning after a solid night's sleep. We couldn't have ordered better weather for the past week, since the snowstorm - or nor'easter as they call it here - we had Wednesday. Circus and I showered at some very kind neighbor's house last night, then chatted with them for a while about life in NJ and what it would take to recover from this storm. They are among the many considering relocation which would be easier than trying to fix up all the damage in their house. I'm starting to recognize our "regulars" including those who come to eat, as well as volunteer and donate regularly. One kind woman, who I've just been calling Grandma, was responsible for calling Channel 12 news yesterday. Circus's interview has been replayed at least 3 times since last night and many diners this morning recognized him from TV. Even the mayor came down and knew who he was! One older man, who's family we've grown close to over the past week, came up to Circus and I this afternoon with tears in his eyes and overwhelming gratitude. I think a lot of that will sink in when I come home, away from the sheer overpowering energy of being here.
We worked hard to get on the road by noon, excited to serve our hot menu item of pork roll, egg, and cheese. NJ natives are shocked when we don't know what this local delicacy is. I'd say pork roll is a cross between Canadian bacon, bologna, and hot dog meat. You serve it with a fried egg and a slice of American cheese on a bun, then offer salt, pepper, and ketchup. We had a lot of takers for this popular sandwich cooked up by Lauren again, our volunteer from the area. Good thing we had a NJ native to cook this up right! After some trial and error on the propane grill in the Uhaul, we got a system going and were able to give out about 250 hot sandwiches, both the pork roll variety and meatball sandwiches. Lauren's dad came and rode shotgun with Circus, calling out to folks on the street and running orders in every direction. His energy and enthusiasm was inspiring! Saria, another gung-ho volunteer, put together sandwiches and served drinks from our "counter" - aka tailgate - to eagerly awaiting walk-up guests. We served relief workers, servicemen, law enforcers, and residents, and family and friends who came to help demo, gut houses and haul debris. Some wanted to stop and talk and some just wanted a quick cup of coffee, shot of protein and to get back to the hard work at hand.
We headed back to base camp to stock up around 3:30, got some more hot food, and took a different crew for our dinner run. We found out that 700+ people ate lunch at the Union Firehouse Grill, plus about 150 for breakfast. The kitchen cranked out delicious meals, we grilled up more meats, and people donated a ton of hot food. Our mobile dinner run was slower, as most people had stopped working but we went door to door for a few blocks and gave out sausage sandwiches and pasta to some happy customers. One couple told me a pretty unbelievable story. They stayed home during Hurricane Sandy, not fearing for a moment that the flooding would reach their house blocks from the water. Sure enough, the water rose so fast it came up their step towards the second floor. The back deck broke off the house, with lawn chairs and a generator sitting atop, and circled the block three times. It landed in their front yard, gear still aboard, as the water began to recede. You can't make this stuff up.
All told, the Union Firehouse Grill and Mobile kitchen served over 1500 meals today. Thanks to the tirelessly working volunteers from near and far, food was always hot and fresh, smiles were prevalent, and people got fed. More tears flowed in gratitude, hugs exchanged, and new friendships forged. We'll have to earmark a trip back to Union Beach to revisit this Jersey shore town in the years to come. Here is a video of a street near the water and the clean-up efforts thus far courtesy of Circus who talks to people and documents while we serve food. We make a great team.
We worked hard to get on the road by noon, excited to serve our hot menu item of pork roll, egg, and cheese. NJ natives are shocked when we don't know what this local delicacy is. I'd say pork roll is a cross between Canadian bacon, bologna, and hot dog meat. You serve it with a fried egg and a slice of American cheese on a bun, then offer salt, pepper, and ketchup. We had a lot of takers for this popular sandwich cooked up by Lauren again, our volunteer from the area. Good thing we had a NJ native to cook this up right! After some trial and error on the propane grill in the Uhaul, we got a system going and were able to give out about 250 hot sandwiches, both the pork roll variety and meatball sandwiches. Lauren's dad came and rode shotgun with Circus, calling out to folks on the street and running orders in every direction. His energy and enthusiasm was inspiring! Saria, another gung-ho volunteer, put together sandwiches and served drinks from our "counter" - aka tailgate - to eagerly awaiting walk-up guests. We served relief workers, servicemen, law enforcers, and residents, and family and friends who came to help demo, gut houses and haul debris. Some wanted to stop and talk and some just wanted a quick cup of coffee, shot of protein and to get back to the hard work at hand.
We headed back to base camp to stock up around 3:30, got some more hot food, and took a different crew for our dinner run. We found out that 700+ people ate lunch at the Union Firehouse Grill, plus about 150 for breakfast. The kitchen cranked out delicious meals, we grilled up more meats, and people donated a ton of hot food. Our mobile dinner run was slower, as most people had stopped working but we went door to door for a few blocks and gave out sausage sandwiches and pasta to some happy customers. One couple told me a pretty unbelievable story. They stayed home during Hurricane Sandy, not fearing for a moment that the flooding would reach their house blocks from the water. Sure enough, the water rose so fast it came up their step towards the second floor. The back deck broke off the house, with lawn chairs and a generator sitting atop, and circled the block three times. It landed in their front yard, gear still aboard, as the water began to recede. You can't make this stuff up.
All told, the Union Firehouse Grill and Mobile kitchen served over 1500 meals today. Thanks to the tirelessly working volunteers from near and far, food was always hot and fresh, smiles were prevalent, and people got fed. More tears flowed in gratitude, hugs exchanged, and new friendships forged. We'll have to earmark a trip back to Union Beach to revisit this Jersey shore town in the years to come. Here is a video of a street near the water and the clean-up efforts thus far courtesy of Circus who talks to people and documents while we serve food. We make a great team.
1 comment:
Wonderful eyewitness words. Must have been hard work preparing and serving all that food. Wandering through that storm devastated area was, however, just another beautiful Sunday on the shore.
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