Community Corner

Community House Offers Shelter to Locals

The Bedford Hills Community House has offered residents warm rooms, cots and hot coffee since Saturday night.

Sandy and Harry Rosenhouse said they've weathered worse than this snowstorm in their 52 years of marriage.

"We've really just recovered from Irene—and now this," said Sandy Rosenhouse from the Bedford Hills Community House, where she and several fellow residents of Fellowship Hall, a housing complex for seniors in Bedford Hills, had gathered Monday morning.

At least 60 other locals and residents of nearby towns had gathered at the on Main Street since Saturday night, said Bill Heidepriem, Bedford's superintendent of recreation and parks.

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The shelter will be open all day Monday through the overnight hours.

Between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday, during the storm's peak hours, all 12 cots at the shelter were occupied, he said. Then at 11:30 p.m. they received word from the MTA about stranded passengers on a train on the Harlem Line, close to the Southeast station. 

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The train backed up on the tracks to Depot Plaza in Bedford Hills. turned two fire engines' beams on to light a path from the train station to the community house for about 60 people seeking shelter.

"The road was lit up like daytime," said Heidepriem. "The MTA ordered 100 meals from the Bedford Diner and after eating, most people headed back to the train to stretch out and sleep."

On Sunday the community house hosted about 45 people who ate, drank hot coffee and recharged their computers and phones. A handful stayed overnight. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteers assisted in running the emergency operation, including Chaoyi Tien, secretary to the Bedford Hills chief of police, Helen Magnotta and Peter Michaelis, candidate for county legislature. In addition, Congresswoman Nan Hayworth stopped in Saturday evening for about 30 minutes, according to Heidepriem.

On Monday morning, the community house received a donation of food from Daisy Hill Farm including bread and cookies and fresh produce. The Bedford Hills Neighborhood Association had donated $100 toward provisions.

The Rosenhouses said the summer tropical storm seemed more terrifying with its loud winds and the sound of a 100-year-old tree falling within inches of their house, but the chunks of snow hitting their roof this time around were almost as scary. In both cases, they felt supported by the town and their friends, they said.

"It was a unified effort," said Sandy Rosenhouse. "This is a community where everyone helps everyone else."


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