Day 2 in New Jersey

Long but productive day. Our best guess is that we served about 500 meals. A lot of repeat folks who have come by for multiple meals including local police, fire fighters, aid workers from across the country - met a guy who is here for 2 months from Anchorage - and Sandy's victims. Circus got to go on a police ride last night while I was unwinding in the very cold Uhaul (which rained with condensation, but at least not snow, on us all night). It was the first time either of us had been away from the Firehouse. He saw devastation and couldn't begin to relate back to me the details of houses being swept off their foundations, hanging from 2 or 3 posts with ground floors washed away. In addition to the 7 of us living here on the Firehouse grounds (now 11), we have had volunteers from the surrounding areas bringing in supplies and cooked food, preparing bagged lunches and serving. Thanks to Heather, Steven, Joe and Brady today, along with so many others offering what they have to those in need.

Breakfast started late with folks rolling in to eat from about 9:30am onwards and we gave away 80 breakfast burritos until about noon, then gave out sausage & sauerkraut and hash browns when those ran out. We also had a steady stream of bagged lunches walking away and we made those and gave out as many as we had all day. Tuna was the most popular...people are pretty sick of PB&J and grilled cheese, although our grilled cheese got rave reviews yesterday. Circus and many other volunteers made a mean sloppy joe with veggie fried rice and toasted bread for lunch and that was served to probably 200 people. We haven't been keeping very good count but should start tomorrow. Many other food distribution centers are closed or are closing by Monday so we expect those people to start coming to us for hot food. Dinner was a few kinds of hot soup and other food brought in by individuals and organizations that are losing their space. We received a lot of donations tonight of prepared food from other groups that we have to give out tomorrow, hopefully by going out into the community. We're working on the logistics of that as we speak.

  

A boarded up house with a special sign

 Notice of Condemnation...so many of these here

Debris is everywhere. We have been feeding a lot of cleaning crews and aid workers doing this hard work.

 A locally famous restaurant on the water completely destroyed, as well as all the houses and businesses around it. 

The deck of the restaurant, deplanked. 

 "The yellow house," an incredible sight. Water was 15+ feet high, the roof is barely hanging on 1/2 the house was violently ripped off. Can you imagine the force of mother nature that would cause this much carnage?

In the front is the foundation, way in the back is the house. It was washed over a block away by Hurricane Sandy. In the front yard were debris of everything this family owned. What do people really need? Furniture and remodeling supplies. And some just need new houses. They are praying for mercy from their insurance brokers. 

There used to be a house here...now there is a boat. We are a few blocks from the water and still houses were ripped away, completely destroyed as if by a bull dozer. Folks in this town talk about this lot, a boat - not the homeowner's - where a house used to stand. Across the street were similar scenarios. 

More police officers came by for food tonight and Circus - as he does - befriended them immediately and got us a "ride-along" to see the damage in restricted streets. It was the first time I had left the Firehouse since we got here Tuesday night or saw any of the aftermath of Wicked Sandy. Wow. I know this may sound cliche, but there truly aren't the words. Street after street of completely destroyed homes, foundations washed away from 5-15 foot waves, houses in pieces or a block away from their property, clothing, toys, and furniture ripped apart and scattered everywhere, trees loaded with house debris and whatever branches snagged possessions blowing and swimming by. People have been telling me about the state of their houses and what was in their houses so I've heard story after story of families being grateful just to be alive, but truly they have nothing.

Most are out of work or can't work because they have to attend to the black mold growing in what's left of their house if they plan to move back in or patching and drying electrical lines before the power is turned back on sometime this week...fingers crossed. There are still a quarter million people without power in New England, including many counties in this area. Many who had regained power lost it again in the snow storm yesterday. Insult to injury, they say here. But a few neighborhoods got more power tonight and I haven't heard of any backlash, yet, like last week when lines blew and fires started because they hadn't been sufficiently repaired or dried yet. One of our local volunteers today said he had 36 hours to repack his insulation and cover his electrical lines before their power is supposed to come on tomorrow night.

The "group" that we are coordinating with - and I use that word loosely - is a collaboration of selfless people from coast to coast that are trickling in from planes, trains, cars, and buses. Most are packing tents and sleeping outside in the now muddy grass with warm blankets or in their cars. The majority of the growing pairs of boots on the ground have heard about us through the Rainbow Family of Living Light or Occupy groups. We have no leaders and everything is run by consensus. A few people are networking primarily and spend hours a day on the phone and computer reaching out to ask for supplies like refrigerator trucks, large propane burners, food supplies, huge tents for cooking and storing, tables, and more serving items. Things and people are coming in daily.

Circus and I feel blessed to be here helping to establish what will be a relief kitchen for a few months. Tomorrow should be our first day of community outreach and mobile meals. We'll also be making another food run to Costco and supply run to Home Depot in the afternoon to gather what is needed for the camp here and prepare for the weekend which should get busy with people to serve. I'm guessing we'll be doing over 1000 meals a day starting Saturday. This weekend we're also hosting Halloween for kids with costumes and candy and maybe a bouncy house if that donation comes through in time. Kids here missed Halloween and will probably miss Thanksgiving, too. Raymond, the amazingly hardworking networker/fundraiser of the group is gearing up for that already. It's incredible what you can manifest if you ask the Universe and the need is there. We've seen that continuously over the past week.

Here is a video Circus made of our tour today. Also, we're both posting updates on facebook pretty regularly. Lots of Love from Union Beach.