Neighborhood breakfasts nourish body and spirit – Times Herald-Record

Jessica Cohen| Times Herald-Record

PORT JERVIS - Barbara Marszalek offers nourishment for body and spirit at the Thursday morning neighborhood breakfasts she serves on her porch at Kamelot, her therapeutic community center on Ball Street.

On a recent morning, dishes ranged from oatmeal and fruit salad to the hanky pankies brought by Patti Van Demark. Carrots, eggplant, lettuce and wax beans for the taking festooned another table. Cornell Cooperative Extension leaves vegetables at Kamelot every week.

Yesterday, there was watermelon and icicle radishes. They all went, Marszalek said.

But for some, communing with neighbors is the needed nourishment, she said. They skip the food and just chat.

We get the socialization we havent been getting, said Spiro Ragouzeos, who moved to Port Jervis from Queens three years ago.

Disgruntled, disillusioned New Yorker comes to Port Jervis to start a new life was how he described himself.

He had been doing administrative work for a small department at New York University and living in the Queens neighborhood where he grew up.

Every place evolves, but its not the community-oriented place I knew, where everyone looks out for each other. Everyones on their own path there, he said.

He found Port Jervis on a drive with a friend.

We liked the natural beauty, friendliness and the businesses here. Theres a potential for things to happen in Port Jervis, he said.

At the other end of the porch, Marszalek spoke Polish with Paula Kaminsky, who moved to Port Jervis after living in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, for 20 years.

Port Jervis is small. Everythings close. Neighbors are nice, she said. As for Barbaras breakfasts, she said, People come here to talk. Barbara gives good advice. I bring things I dont use my husbands tools, old clothes.

Also chatting on the porch was Carolyn Kalanyos, community engagement coordinator for Jewish Family Services, based in Middletown.

Our group helps old folks with getting to medical services, taking care of house chores and shopping, she said. People call us, and we try to find neighbors to help them. Were looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can call her at 845-341-1173, ext. 303.

Marszaleks porch has been a good source of volunteers, including Marszalek herself, Kalanyos said. And after delivering her hanky pankies, which she made with sausage, parmesan and Romano cheese and parsley on toast, Van Dermark said she was off to take someone shopping.

Jenny Volpe, who was staying with her parents in Port Jervis on the way to moving from Texas to Virginia, chatted on the porch too. She kept an eye on her 6-year-old Amelia, who collected bugs from the lawn in a jar.

People start coming at 8:45, usually about 20, Marszalek said. Some just pass through. Others take the opportunity to stay and catch up.

As the weather cools, she is thinking of offering soup later in the day and moving the gathering into her garage, she said.

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Neighborhood breakfasts nourish body and spirit - Times Herald-Record