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John Makely / NBC News
Thanksgiving on Breezy Point: Terri Dodge and her fiancee Steve Peterson drove from Portland, Maine to Breezy Point, NY on Wednesday to cook Thanksgiving dinner for up to 30 people.
In the weeks since Superstorm Sandy sent a wall of water through Breezy Point and more than 100 homes burned to the ground, the battered neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., has seen a flurry of activity with relief workers, volunteers and utility crews creating traffic jams on the one road into town.
Thanksgiving Day in Breezy Point started with a few residents still cleaning up and dozens of crews working on the natural gas lines, but little else happening -- except over by the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department where Terri Dodge and her fiancee Steve Peterson were in high gear cooking dinner in the parking lot.
John Makely / NBC News
Steve Peterson adjusts the heat under a deep fryer as a large turkey cooks.
Dodge and Peterson, who were recently engaged, drove from Portland, Maine, to Breezy Point on Wednesday and slept in their rented van next to the canned vegetables and coolers in the fire department's parking lot.
Thursday morning they started cooking for a guest list that kept getting longer. "First it was seven people, then we added 17 and now we're up over 30," Terri said as she carved one of eight turkeys.
John Makely / NBC News
A deep-fried turkey is placed in a cooler to keep it warm until dinner is served.
John Makely / NBC News
Terri Dodge served up Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beens, yams, stuffing, gravy and a canned pork item grilled with maple syrup dubbed "Hurricane Ham"
Improvisation and outdoor cooking is not new for Terri and Steve. The couple run "A Lobster Affair" catering company in Portland, but cooking next to a flooded car in the middle of a town recently devastated by Sandy has offered some challenges. "We had to use bottle water to cook the potatoes - that was fun." The biggest challenge? "We need more side dishes, " she said as she mashed a pot full of steaming potatoes.
John Makely / NBC News
About 60 volunteers, police and firefighters enjoy a Thanksgiving meal prepared by Teri Dodge and her fiancé Steve Peterson at the Point Breeze Fire Department in Breezy Point, New York, Nov. 22.
John Makely / NBC News
Teri Dodge shows off the company patch she was given from Firefighter Sebastian Danese as she receives a round of applause for cooking Thanksgiving dinner at the Point Breeze Fire Department, Breezy Point, New York, Nov. 22.
Nearby, Mathew Bruno and Ryan Pascuzzi of the Westchester Fire Academy handed out turkey sandwiches to whoever was hungry.
John Makely / NBC News
Ryan Pascuzzi, left, a cadet with the New Rochelle Fire Department, hands out turkey sandwiches to Finbar Devine, center, Tim O'Malley and Tom Ball on 216th Street in Breezy Point.
"You've got to do your part" Pascuzzi said. "We're going to be devoting our lives to helping other people, we might as well start with a tragedy down here."
"This is my community," Bruno added. "I've been down here every weekend doing what I can, pumping out people's basements. It makes your day when someone gives you a hotdog, a hamburger or a sandwich while you're working trying to do your part. I've been on that side of working and doing the construction and now it's time for me to come down here and do what I can."
John Makely / NBC News
John Dalton, left, and his nephew Al Dalton salvage items from a neighbor's house before the home is razed. The second floor furniture was moved to Dalton's house at the owner's request.
Elsewhere in Breezy Point, John Dalton was salvaging bedroom furniture for a neighbor whose house will be razed. "I'm thankful that no one got killed in this area," Dalton said.
In a neighborhood hard-hit by Sandy, even people who are storm victims themselves find ways to bring Thanksgiving to others. NBC's Kate Snow reports.
Leave a Comment:
Considering what this country has suffered these past 10 years---instead of "God Blessing America"---we would be much better off if he blessed our enemies!!.
@ Heaveto I don't know who your enemies are, but I feel really blessed when I see America's enemies. And a great big Thumbs Up to Terri and Steve! Yours are the spirit that will insure that America will survive.
I've said this time and time again....The terrorists have nothing on Mother Nature. Mother Nature is the real terrorist and cause of destruction.
So shines a good deed in a weary world.
May they all be giving thanks in their own homes, this time next year!!I hope that they find a little something to be grateful for this year!! Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks to all the volunteers for all you have done, and are doing!
How much longer are we going to hear how "tragic" things are and how these people are persevering? What are they supposed to do? Sit on the curb, whine and cry? What about Katrina? Karina was much much worse. There is still devastation in Louisiana.
You are a horrible cold-hearted sob for a comment like that on thanksgiving day to boot. You are what is wrong with this country. You will hopefully also be one of the first to go to a "FEMA CAMP"! But you know what??? I would still help you because that is what AMERICA was built on. Neighbors and strangers lending a helping hand. Not sellfishness. God bless you and yours. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. :) (Oh, this comment is for Illia Smythe)
Somewhere along the line you seemed to have lost your humanity. This was a story about people helping people--just like many of the stories we read after Katrina. I'm sorry you are so bitter, but stories like this remind us that there are still people out there who genuinely care, and for that I am grateful.
I don't think you can compare apples and oranges. There are those who say the Oklahoma bombing was worse than 9/11. I don't think these people are whining, this is a story about being grateful to have your life. All Disasters are bad, none is worse than the next one. We just have to be kinder to Mother Nature, she's the one who is doing the most destruction to America.
Every act of kindness and act by others not directly effected by this devastion goes forward in American folklore as those times the public lead by deed and action,thereby teaching others grace and rationalism for their own disasters of life .The American spirit lives.
katrina was not worse, compare the behaviors, That's a legitimate thing to do..............
Terri Dodge, Steve Peterson from Maine! Good hearts. Great Americans! This is who we are SUPPOSED TO BE! As Americans, As Christians, As Jews, As Muslims, As Hindus, As Buddhists, As Atheists! These people and the many who are volunteering are the examples of who we are supposed to be as human beings! May they all be richly blessed by our Creator.
Amen brother I love you happy thanksgiving. If all of us did just one nice deed today and everyday, this would be a better place. peace out
Amen @ c.c. cohen!
This is a wonderful Thanksgiving story. God bless all the volunteers and those struggling to recover from Sandy.
This is a great article about doing your best with what you have and sharing it with others. Happy Thanksgiving to Breezy Point folks and all of you out east displaced by the storm. You are in our prayers!
At this very moment, I am watching "Homecoming: A Christmas Story" the Walton family's first story. I haven't seen it in over 20 years, I am moved to tears by the story and it's familiarity. And, while watching the story, I was searching for news on my laptop when I saw this story of the Thanksgiving Meal in Breezy Point, the turkey frying in the oil, handing out the sandwiches, and the rest. It caused me to have even more tears, I am from New York and I am so sorry for all of those who are suffering from such devastation. I want all of them to know we are praying for them, we have encouraged others to donate through the Red Cross, to keep all those people in our daily prayers. What a wonderful story on this Thanksgiving Day,
Thank you POTUS for pulling out all the stops to ensure help arrived to those US Citizens in their hour of need! Thank you for sending Joe Biden to visit our area and all the help he brought to us! God Bless, FEMA for all that they have done! One question - why is it we can deliver help to other countries, restore their utilities, provide help and assistance to those in need, and give our assistance to those that were damaged by this storm, and yet, we fail to assist our own Citizens, in their hour of need; when you and your administration continue to spend our tax dollars overseas, supporting regimes that oppress Democracy? Peace on! {:-(}
@GARY ; The republicans are looking for the reason they've lost to president obama ??? let me help you guys , first thing , drop MORONI , and turn back to JESUS CHRIST !!! drop the GREED , drop the LYING , drop the HIPOCRICY , drop the SELFISHNESS , drop the SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS , drop the WELFARE ENTITLEMENT FOR THE RICH , drop the ARROGANCE , drop the OFFSHORE TAX DODGING , drop the OBSTUCTIONIST. IN OTHER WORDS , '' DROP THE TEA PARTY '' , AND IT WILL GIVE YA'LL A FIGHTING CHANCE !!!!!!!
To those of you who wrote such kind words, thank you. It will come back to you ten fold. Just saying nice words is a breath of fresh air, but please don't respond to the bitter comments. Karma always takes care of that.
I Guess everybondy's trying to get in the spotlight. Give me a break.
It just showes you that the Spirit of the American people has not been Broken...Yet..4 more years of this socialist pile-of-camel-sht obaama may just break it!!