It is so very easy to take things for granted.
I had a long drawn out version of this day typed but scrapped it. There is so much help and kindness everywhere that needs it. With the high visiblity areas having a great deal of help, I knew immediately where I needed to be. Beloved Tuckerton. Now Tuckerton and Mystic really do have just a lot of working class people with working class lives and got hit hard. Sam and I started at the Pinelands Jr. High and moved on to the "store" in Mystic where they needed hands. Seeing people pull together from all walks is so wonderful. There was food, water, cleaning supplies, clothes, and the like coming from every car that pulled up.
People so disrupted and hurt just need help even when they do not know how to ask or what to ask for. This was a smalltown operation without the visibility. The outpouring of hands, was great. There was and is tons of milk (WAWA was generous and everything is chilled) There were diapers, hygiene needs, every food group, other needs that get overlooked, whatever.
Did you ever think about the fact that brushing your teeth my become a luxury and need instead of just being there for you in the morn? I know I didn't.
Sam showed me hisself right off in how he jumped in toted so much heavy water, walked people to cars, with others in the store he pointed out where things were for "shoppers"<--- people in need. Someone would walk up to the door and just say "how can I help?" other cars would pull up and open hatches or truckbeds heaping, and the offloading would begin. Retired folks, young teens, any and all. Helping. The organization was pretty tight for a group of laypersons. The weather did a heap of damage, and is a powerful reminder of the fact that we really are not the ones in charge, not running the show if you prefer.
The toughest part for me was not the hard toting, lifting and moving...(LARGO's desk job has made him slightly unfit. Oh I can do the work but damn do I pay for it) You can tote and put away on shelves tons of cans, bleach, dry goods, water(Sam bless his heart moved a lot of the wet stuff today)
The hard part is watching people come in like a deer in the headlights, lost... not even really sure of the needs. You have to coax them along with questions and remind them a little of what they need every day and what the baby in the carriage needs or grandmom at home. Being in their funk, organized shopping lists are not born of such a disorganized situation. Watching someone walk in and crying just because they simply don't understand any of it... that's tough. Telling people it is O/K, no shame in getting their needs, that is good stuff.
I can only imagine how so many good people are up and down our coast, and inlands, reaching out to what are so many other good people that need that love right now. So look, we did a little drive around after we called it a day around 3:30 or so as we had commitments, but there will be no pictures here as I wasn't on a sightseeing junket. My beloved Boulevard is closed, there is a great deal of debris put to trash and a whole lot of sadness.
So this was my day, and my day was quite good.
So O/K it got long anyhoo, that's just me guys (I love you too).
Lots of areas have a place like this to go. If you have a friend in the Tuckerton/Mystic area that doesn't know yet, or is just confused about where and how, the "store" is right in Mystic, in the old plaza across from WAWA just off Radio Road where Mathison comes in from rt9.
They are at the least just asking if you are directly from the area. No one was turned away while I was there but it is easy to see where they have to try to keep it a little local when other places are around.
You won't need a price plus card for deals and you likely won't have to be so conscious on your list of anything but your basic needs and just enough to get you by. I'm thinking, just having the ability to go up and say " would you help me?" would be a fine start. No need to complicate it.
Be well,
and if you are somewhere impacted, God Bless you.
g.
I had a long drawn out version of this day typed but scrapped it. There is so much help and kindness everywhere that needs it. With the high visiblity areas having a great deal of help, I knew immediately where I needed to be. Beloved Tuckerton. Now Tuckerton and Mystic really do have just a lot of working class people with working class lives and got hit hard. Sam and I started at the Pinelands Jr. High and moved on to the "store" in Mystic where they needed hands. Seeing people pull together from all walks is so wonderful. There was food, water, cleaning supplies, clothes, and the like coming from every car that pulled up.
People so disrupted and hurt just need help even when they do not know how to ask or what to ask for. This was a smalltown operation without the visibility. The outpouring of hands, was great. There was and is tons of milk (WAWA was generous and everything is chilled) There were diapers, hygiene needs, every food group, other needs that get overlooked, whatever.
Did you ever think about the fact that brushing your teeth my become a luxury and need instead of just being there for you in the morn? I know I didn't.
Sam showed me hisself right off in how he jumped in toted so much heavy water, walked people to cars, with others in the store he pointed out where things were for "shoppers"<--- people in need. Someone would walk up to the door and just say "how can I help?" other cars would pull up and open hatches or truckbeds heaping, and the offloading would begin. Retired folks, young teens, any and all. Helping. The organization was pretty tight for a group of laypersons. The weather did a heap of damage, and is a powerful reminder of the fact that we really are not the ones in charge, not running the show if you prefer.
The toughest part for me was not the hard toting, lifting and moving...(LARGO's desk job has made him slightly unfit. Oh I can do the work but damn do I pay for it) You can tote and put away on shelves tons of cans, bleach, dry goods, water(Sam bless his heart moved a lot of the wet stuff today)
The hard part is watching people come in like a deer in the headlights, lost... not even really sure of the needs. You have to coax them along with questions and remind them a little of what they need every day and what the baby in the carriage needs or grandmom at home. Being in their funk, organized shopping lists are not born of such a disorganized situation. Watching someone walk in and crying just because they simply don't understand any of it... that's tough. Telling people it is O/K, no shame in getting their needs, that is good stuff.
I can only imagine how so many good people are up and down our coast, and inlands, reaching out to what are so many other good people that need that love right now. So look, we did a little drive around after we called it a day around 3:30 or so as we had commitments, but there will be no pictures here as I wasn't on a sightseeing junket. My beloved Boulevard is closed, there is a great deal of debris put to trash and a whole lot of sadness.
So this was my day, and my day was quite good.
So O/K it got long anyhoo, that's just me guys (I love you too).
Lots of areas have a place like this to go. If you have a friend in the Tuckerton/Mystic area that doesn't know yet, or is just confused about where and how, the "store" is right in Mystic, in the old plaza across from WAWA just off Radio Road where Mathison comes in from rt9.
They are at the least just asking if you are directly from the area. No one was turned away while I was there but it is easy to see where they have to try to keep it a little local when other places are around.
You won't need a price plus card for deals and you likely won't have to be so conscious on your list of anything but your basic needs and just enough to get you by. I'm thinking, just having the ability to go up and say " would you help me?" would be a fine start. No need to complicate it.
Be well,
and if you are somewhere impacted, God Bless you.
g.
