4 through the winter. They were able to have access and resources to pick up and go to restart their lives. While others, like my friends, stuck it out to see our neighborhood recover. We could not afford to leave, but also chose not to leave a community we loved. Q8: How did the storm affect your livelihood, if it did? A8: At the time, I lived and worked in Red Hook. The restaurant where I worked was flooded in the basement, but fortunately not in the actual dining area since the building sits just a bit above sea-level. We may have been the only restaurant in Red Hook that survived the storm. I worked as a bartender and server there. Shortly after the storm, though we had no electricity, we were able to open the restaurant. We lit candles, and neighbors came to commiserate in the aftermath of trying to make sense of it all. We were eventually able to open the kitchen and actually serve meals. It became a sort of gathering place for everyone affected by the storm. Everyone was shell shocked about how bad the flooding was. Working every day after we opened was an intense experience of hearing all of their Sandy stories of loss. It felt like we were all mourning. I was, however, super lucky I was able to go back to work in the restaurant not long after the storm. Our restaurant became ground zero for neighbors to convene, rest between clearing out their homes and putting their lives together. We shared stories, mourned together, and processed our experiences, keeping tabs on each other for safety. Aside from serving the customers, we listened to their stories and offered comfort and support. It was like everyday psychosocial debriefing and healing together. But it was also really exhausting. At the same time in another coastal area of Brooklyn, Brighton Beach, Gabriela New York members linked up with other organizations to embark on relief operations. We were there to help a small Filipino community living there, gathering donations and support for them as they had been flooded as well. Q9: From the stories you heard and collected, what has been said to be the effect of Hurricane Sandy to these people? A9: We sometimes worry na baka maulit [that it might happen again]. There is panic based on this experience that everytime it rains heavily, there could be severe flooding. There is also a nostalgia of what this community was. Right after Hurricane Sandy, we were like a tiny corner of the world supporting each other. Then after the storm, you saw an influx of builders and developers come and snatch up properties. The character of the neighborhood has changed significantly, and you can see a lot of new money and people who are unaware of what the neighborhood went through during Sandy. We were once a tight knit community of people looking out for each other and caring for each other’s well being and now it’s a bit