If ever I was feeling like I didn't belong--it would be now. I felt like I couldn't keep up physically, I wasn't sleeping really well and I was getting more and more drained as the time wore on.
Then, we went to Staten Island. We arrived to the location of Mary's house. She had let the command centre set up on her grass. A huge tent was put up on her rental property and the volunteers and emergency workers were coordinated there.
When we arrived her landlord was upset that his property looked like a garbage dump. He demanded that it be cleaned up.
When we arrived she had done most of the work. Kent reached out and held her while she cried and told her that we would see to the rest of the clean up, the teens and Ben set to cleaning.
Meanwhile....feeling like I couldn't physically keep up, the NYSUM leader we had with us wanted to talk. We held hands and I encouraged her. She had had a really rough year, something I could really relate with. We talked, cried and she left encouraged. And I knew why I was there. Not to dig piles of sand, or build a set of stairs, or drywall a house. What I can do is hold people while they cry, high five them when they are needing encouragement, make them laugh. That's what I do.
When we were divided up -- my team was dropped off by Mike and we sprayed a lady's house for mold. It was January 4th and she still didn't have power. We talked with her for a moment, but told her we had it under control--she left to do some errands.
We sprayed and did a great job, afterwards, Baylie, Kirsten and I went to find a bathroom, dressed as oompa-loompas in our Tyvex suits, we found an outhouse.
When we were returning--I noticed the neighbour across the street was in her doorway watching us. We helped ourselves into the house, I texted for a ride and got the house back in order, leaving the spraying apparatus for the team that would be in tomorrow.
The neighbour was still watching us.
We waited. No ride, no response to the text. We were freezing in the house, so I suggested that we find a ride ourselves. There are patrols constantly coming and going...
So we started walking and I immediately found a fire truck. They had equipment in the back so they couldn't take us. We continued walking towards the main road and found a police car. The NYPD officer politely gave me instructions and I asked for a ride. I was told I would have to be arrested to be in the back....I told him he could.
He didn't.
We went onto warm ourselves in Dunkin Doughnuts. We went onto the command centre--where I asked to drive home. Kent and Ben had been doing all the driving...and I thought...I can do this!
We left early enough to avoid major traffic delays (if there is such a thing in NYC) and we got the team cleaned up and headed to Times Square Church for their youth service.
We found this guy outside of Starbucks that had a 5' long-longboard. He had a heart for the homeless and was actively getting people off the street and into their own apartments. The way he talked he seemed independently wealthy and had the numbers down pat. How much a homeless shelter could charge per month per person using the facility. He was incredibly interesting to listen too.
We went home, tired but filled up.
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