Happy Thanksgiving to all! I love Thanksgiving; it’s
actually one of my favourite holidays. Besides the food, it’s the time when my
family gets together. We all sit around this massive table, sharing food,
stories, and holiday spirit! I cannot say that my family and I are the perfect
television network family—we always have my crazy uncle who says the most
wildest things, and my grandmother who cries at all of the grandchildren’s
smallest accomplishments. It’s heartwarming and fun.
This year, it’s a little different for my family. I live on Long Island, one of the places that was drastically effected by Hurricane Sandy. Today marks one month since Sandy has formed and while much of the debris in my area has been cleared, there are many friends and families that we know who are without power, without the ability to travel, or without a home entirely. Even yesterday, my friends who attend college in New York City were unable to get home for Thanksgiving because of an electrical problem in Penn Station. Many friends we know were without power for weeks, leaving them in the surprisingly cold weeks Long Island faced after the storm without heat. Some friends spent nights alone because their parents could not leave New York City (it is common for people to travel for work and then return home to places like Long Island).
Specifically, I live nearly 3 hours from New York City, on the North Fork, where we faced things such as flooding and power outages. Homes on the South Fork were completely swept away. I saw, when I came home for my Thanksgiving Break, beaches that I used to hang out at, no longer there. Houses were gone, dunes were gone, sand was everywhere. My comforting beach community, fifteen minutes from home, had been destroyed. And so, while my family may not have been severely effected by the storm, we are apart of a community that is, and we cope for them. Not just Long Islanders, but for all that have been effected.
This year, it’s a little different for my family. I live on Long Island, one of the places that was drastically effected by Hurricane Sandy. Today marks one month since Sandy has formed and while much of the debris in my area has been cleared, there are many friends and families that we know who are without power, without the ability to travel, or without a home entirely. Even yesterday, my friends who attend college in New York City were unable to get home for Thanksgiving because of an electrical problem in Penn Station. Many friends we know were without power for weeks, leaving them in the surprisingly cold weeks Long Island faced after the storm without heat. Some friends spent nights alone because their parents could not leave New York City (it is common for people to travel for work and then return home to places like Long Island).
Specifically, I live nearly 3 hours from New York City, on the North Fork, where we faced things such as flooding and power outages. Homes on the South Fork were completely swept away. I saw, when I came home for my Thanksgiving Break, beaches that I used to hang out at, no longer there. Houses were gone, dunes were gone, sand was everywhere. My comforting beach community, fifteen minutes from home, had been destroyed. And so, while my family may not have been severely effected by the storm, we are apart of a community that is, and we cope for them. Not just Long Islanders, but for all that have been effected.
This
Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have a roof over my head, a delicious meal, and
a family well enough to share the holiday spirit. We all should be thankful for
that, so please, take a second and share your spirits. Donating will help devastated
families see the holiday miracles they need! Thank you so much for your
efforts.
#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.
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