Displaced Sandy Victims Find A Home In Sea Isle City For Thanksgiving
By Oren Liebermann
SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. (CBS) - The two-story rental in Sea Isle City is normally a beach getaway, but this weekend it is a home.
"I'm just overwhelmed that they put together something like this," said Roland Conner of Rockaway, Queens.
Sea Isle City invited families displaced by Hurricane Sandy to stay in rental homes for the holiday. Roland Dorsey and his family lost their business, and by his estimate, 90 percent of their belongings.
"I don't know, it's just been a tough time it's really been a tough time - just to have everything swept away from you - one day it's there, the next day it's not is tough," said Conner.
Sea Isle suffered some of its own damage in the storm along the beaches and the back bay. The cleanup here will take months, but that didn't stop the city from helping others. Homeowners donated 10 empty rental houses for the long weekend for displaced families.
"Sea Isle City and a lot of its residents had a lot of trouble with their property and their personal property, but you don't have to look very far to see people in worse shape than you are," said Dave Farina.
No Thanksgiving holiday is complete without a turkey dinner, so the Lobster Loft in town put together a meal for the families who don't have a home right now.
"It's been a trying four weeks - we just got to look forward - move forward in any thing we're doing," said Matthew Dorsey.
Dorsey had three feet of water in his basement. But he says he is blessed and has plenty of reasons to give thanks.
" I look at my neighbors and the people around me and they suffered so much more than I did - in so many ways I count my blessings like that," said Dorsey.
