Nino's Restaurant Volunteer Relief Effort
Rescue relief in New York City is a 24/7 operation. "They need to eat," says Mama, the matriarch of Ninos Italian restaurant on Canal Street. This was the reason for closing down her restaurant to the general public and opening an around the clock operation for serving the police officers, fire fighters, rescue workers and other uniformed federal and state employees breakfast, lunch and dinner- on the house.
The staff is made up primarily of volunteers from diverse backgrounds. On Tuesday, October 1st there was an IBM employee whose boss had given her and a few co-workers the day off to volunteer, a graduate student from Atlanta, Georgia who flew into New York on a bargain ticket, and a schoolteacher who was taking a personal day to work the night shift. The majority of the patrons are working as investigators at ground zero, and a hot meal is exactly what they appreciate most. One officer spoke about his task identifying body parts for DNA analysis and spoke very bluntly about the grueling, yet crucially important responsibility he has to the families who remain in hope of identifying the missing.
The food served is all under the careful supervision of the boss Nino himself and mostly donated from various venues in the neighborhood. Delicious, homemade Italian fare: Sausage and peppers, Baked Ziti, chicken Parmigiano, egg plant parmigiano, baked chicken, brisket, beef stew, meatballs, salads: Ceaser, Greek, mozzaralla and tomato, loads of desserts from pecan pie to coconut cream cake. The operation expects to continue with the help of city funding from donations for the next six months, or however long it is need to finish the job.
To volunteer your time contact Nino's Restaurant at: 212.966.5110 or simply show up to the corner of Canal and Varick streets ready to work.
Words and images by Jenine Lurie
