Hurricane Sandy One Year Later- Still Staten Island Proud

It's hard to believe it's been a year since Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast, especially hard hit was my home town of Staten Island New York. After bailing several feet of water from Goodfella's basement and seeing first hand what really happened, the only thing we could do was give it everything we had to help our friends and long time neighbors who were left with nothing. Working out of a donated tractor trailer box in our parking lot we coordinated with such amazing volunteers from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds that it made me damn proud to be an American. We worked with motorcycle gangs, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Navy, Reserves, National Guard, the Pentecostal, Jews, Catholics, Baptists, Scientologists, Born Again, Jehovah' Witness,Liquid Church and American Legion, Marine Corp League, VFW Posts, NYPD, NYFD, Tunnel to Towers, teahers, moms and dads, elderly, Veterans from across the country, Occupy Wall Street, every race, color and creed in a unified effort to feed and shelter our fellow human beings in dire need. Just thinking about it is very emotional for me because I am so humbled and proud to have met and worked with these fine people who sacrificed a tremendous amount of time, effort and material possessions to do what was not only needed but was the right thing to do. Some valiant people risked their very lives to save total strangers. Others left their homes and traveled far to help finding only hard floors and sleeping bags or autos to sleep in. Some opened their doors to total stranger to provide shelter. Some cooked all day and night while others walked door to door through the dark and cold to deliver food and supplies. Some coordinated the efforts of others. Some provided succor. Some helped dig and shovel. Some gathered supplies. Some Gathered money. Some protected life and property. Some prayed. Some gave a much needed shoulder to cry on. Some cried while doing all of the above. This was humanity at it's finest as is evident in many desperate moments. I am  so grateful to all of you and so honored to have participated with my family and many great people.
If I learned one thing from this and 911 it's that all of you matter more than you know and you all have value and it is appreciated. God bless America and God Bless You.   Marc Cosentino