Random acts of kindness really do have a ripple effect.
Take St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown, for example. On Thursday morning, a line of cars snaked in front of the church, inching its way to a distant gas station for precious fill-ups in the stressful aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Rector Janet Broderick and Assistant Rector Melissa Hall rolled a cart with tea and coffee to the bedraggled motorists on South Street. Melissa even car-sat for some of them while they dashed into the church for bathroom breaks.
“One gave me her car and her kid,” Melissa recalled with a laugh.
During the curbside service, another light bulb went off.
“We realized these people will need dinner,” said Janet.
Photos by Sharon Sheridan and Kevin Coughlin. Please click icon below for captions.
A brigade of volunteers was enlisted for duty in the church’s Leni Muscarella Memorial Kitchen. On Thursday night, about 100 residents left their cold, dark, powerless homes to enjoy steaming spaghetti and meatballs, vegetarian lasagna, salad, homemade brownies and lemonade in the Great Hall of St. Peter’s.
They came from stately houses and condos, apartments and homeless shelters; they got the word via email and word of mouth, from AA meetings and seniors centers; they brought cell phones and laptops, children and appetites. Some brought food.
“It’s fantastic what they did tonight,” Erik Jacobsen said of the church. He welcomed the respite from a run of bad luck that now includes a blacked-out room at Homeless Solutions Inc.
Freelance writer Linda Ross lost power at her condo on Sunday night–before the hurricane even arrived.
“It’s cold. It’s boring. I’ve been spending a lot of time at the seniors center at 200 South St. [town hall]. They have people from 5 to 85, and you can charge your phones and laptops. It’s a nice place to sit for awhile. Someone then said there would be dinner at the church,” Linda said.
“It’s another example of how lovely people can be at this terrible time,” she said. “I thought this event was absolutely fabulous. During this state of emergency, I have met the nicest, nicest people. Wonderful people from Morristown I never would have met. If there’s a silver lining to this, that’s it.”
Things went so well that the church plans to keep doing encores until electricity is restored around town. Three days after Sandy roared through New Jersey, about one-third of Morristown remained in the dark, according to Jersey Central Power and Light. Neighboring towns were in worse shape.
“When people can’t cook for themselves, we have to feed them,” Janet said, as small children romped on the hall stage and watched cartoons on a big-screen TV.
A light breakfast will be served around 8 am on Friday, followed by trick or treating for kids at 11:30 a.m., with dinner around 5 pm. The church would appreciate donations of soft drinks, juices and fruit.
Y’ALL COME BACK NOW
While power’s out, soup’s on at St. Peter’s
Light breakfast at 8 am
Trick or Treating 11:30 am Friday
Dinner 6 pm on Friday
Use Miller Road entrance to the Great Hall
Donations of soft drinks, juice, fruit welcome
Check St. Peter’s website for future schedule
“This was fun,” the rector said. “It felt like family. Sitting alone in the cold is depressing and disheartening. People got cheered up tonight.”
That was the consensus among the guests.
“For absolutely no planning, it went off splendiferously,” said Dan Weiland, who lent a hand in the kitchen.
“The lasagna was awesome,” said Teresa DiMartino. “I’m Italian. So when I say that, I mean it.”
Morristown Councilwoman Alison Deeb liked the camaraderie. “This is what it’s all about: Neighbors helping neighbors,” she said.
“It was nice to see everyone come together and be positive about it,” added Leslie Acheson. “Today I saw fights in the Kings parking lot, and people screaming in lines for gas. Here, it’s very nice, very inviting.”
Leslie’s daughter, Gillian Covillo, said she was enjoying the hurricane-induced vacation from her freshman studies at Morristown High School–and from her electronics.
“It’s kind of nice to take a break from technology,” said Gillian, flanked by friends Emma Zawacki and Becca Hoffman. “I hate having Facebook texting me every other minute.”
Brilliant. There’s an old story that ends with this line: “The church is at its best when it becomes one beggar showing another beggar how to get bread.” St Peter’s is he church at its best.
Fabulous!