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Ship cat Chiclet doing her job as offical host of our Pandemic PopUp Minipark
November 25, 2020
Greetings!

Thanksgiving is a time for sharing bounty and giving thanks, and I write to thank all who supported PortSide so far this year and to share some 2020 moments of brightness in the hope they lift your spirits.

As the pandemic rolled across the land, a pack of warm-hearted people in Kennett, Missouri went to all sorts of trouble to support our effort to restore the engine in our flagship MARY A. WHALEN. They bent over backwards to collaborate, demolishing a city powerplant in a way that saved the 55,000 pound engine (plus bird nests in the way), hire a special crane, the best local trucker and more.
Today, I called several people in Kennett to thank them for getting us the engine and tell them that their generosity was a display of human kindness that had given many people hope in a dark time.

This spring, as New Yorkers inched out of their homes seeking covid-safe outdoor space, we responded by setting up PortSide’s Pandemic PopUp minipark parallel to our ship. It’s amazing how much joy just four parking spaces of park can deliver and how much love the space triggers.

A steady stream of stuff was donated, sometimes showing up anonymously overnight. In the morning, I often found chalk drawings of hearts on the asphalt there. Thanks to Ports America for letting the community use that space.

I have been inspired by Red Hook neighbors who have run popup food pantries and gifted goods and services, and the local Red Hook Container Terminal which donated over 30,000 pineapples and is storing our new, vintage engine for free.

It’s all a reminder to keep an eye on what’s good, to know that we all have much more in common than not and that we find that when we work together.

May you have a happy, and safe, Thanksgiving.

Best,
Carolina Salguero 
Founder & Executive Director

Photo (c) Jonathan Atkin
Staying in Touch

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