Letter: A Journey to Breezy Point

Editor's note: Residents from Weston and several other communities donated much-needed supplies during a drive to support the vicitims of Hurricane Sandy in Breezy Point, N.Y. The letter below was submitted by Cynthia Hill.

To the residents of Wayland, and surrounding communities, the residents of Breezy Point N.Y., thank you.

They thank you for the two tractor trailer loads filled to the brim with generators, space heaters, work gloves, shovels, 22 wheelbarrows, pallets of bleach, electrical cords, boots, winter clothing for men, women and kids, diapers, pallets of paper towels and toilet paper, antibacterial gel, pet food, and so much more.

You lovingly brought cars, SUVs, and trucks full of necessities for our neighbors in New York who had nothing left after Hurricane Sandy. Stop & Shop, just days before they opened, not only donated the trucks, but drivers, gas, and their employees to help you unload your car. General Manager Mike Bussell saw people in a horrific mess and, along with his corporate team, when to work. He even made sure pallets of drinking water were in both trucks. Mike, also a volunteer chief with the Ashby Fire Department, knew what these people needed after water, fire and up to 6 feet of sand swept away part or all of their homes.

I wish you could have seen the faces of the FDNY, National Guard and civilian volunteers as those huge trucks pulled in to an area still under a State of Emergency ... we lifted the doors and people started to cry. With destruction everywhere, they couldn't believe people cared about them ...

A woman came up to me and told me I was her angel – I'm sure a few in town would disagree – now she could begin to dig out her house. I certainly wasn't her angel, but I could hug her and let her know that so many wonderful people cared what happened to her, that we'd be there for Breezy.

The people of Breezy Point are a strong, proud and caring community, but looking around me, I couldn't imagine what courage it would take to keep going day after day.

It's been almost a month now – Breezy still has no electricity and all must leave before dark. You've probably heard about the looting, Theresa tells me it's not too bad. “What do you mean ‘Not too bad!’” I shouted to myself. “You've worked for days to find odds and ends of your life, and someone steals it!”

As the sun set on Breezy Point, Nov. 13, 2012, several of us knew we'd be back, with whatever they needed, whenever they needed it.

Thank you for all that you've done, and all that we have left to do.

Cynthia Hill, the Breezy Point Project
54 Orchard Lane, Wayland