Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY
We just got a long, handwritten thank you letter from a woman who was staying at the shelter down the street from the bookstore. She was thanking us for the books we donated, said they got her through the bad experience of staying in the shelter. She left there because she felt unsafe and went home to her ruined house, which she described in her letter.
She also included some details about the horrific conditions in Sea Gate (no heat or power, looting, police everywhere) but she also notes that she hears the sounds of hammers and hope.
This letter. It's enough to break your heart but it's also a reminder about how it's important never to lose your humanity, even in the face of it all.
From Greenlight Bookstore's Facebook page.