Christmas came early for these Sandy victims.
The eight-months-pregnant Staten Island mom left homeless by the storm — because she was booted from her hotel after FEMA bungled her reservation — received a load of free goodies for her baby, furniture for her new rental and a fully-decorated tree.
“With a baby on the way, all I want to do is build a nest,” said a beaming Keri Christian, 27, as she stared at the van full of gifts compliments of a Staten Island nonprofit helping families that lost their homes to the hurricane.
Members of the group, the Staten Island Sandy Relief Fund, read about Christian’s plight in The Post, and decided to act.
Paul Martinka
THANKS! Keri Christian, husband Paul Anthony Marotto and baby Serafina yesterday at their new Brooklyn apartment, provided by a storm-relief group whose members read about their plight in The Post.
“This is so wonderful!” said Christian, whose husband, Anthony Marotto, 41, has been working to rebuild their home after it flooded and burned.
“It’s not about what we lost; it’s about getting back on track.”
Christian, who is due in January and has a 2-year-old daughter, and her family received about $2,500 worth of gifts for their new apartment in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
The haul includes an armchair and ottoman, a dresser with baby clothes, kitchenware, a cradle swing, a car seat and a pre-lit, 6-foot artificial Christmas tree already decked out with ornaments.
A queen-sized bed and toddler bed will arrive in the coming week. One of Christian’s favorite items is a dining table with six chairs.
“I’ve been staying in everybody else’s house and everybody has been cooking me dinner, and now I can have them come to my house!” she said.
“I’m happy to be able to celebrate the holidays. The hurricane didn’t take that away.”
After Sandy, Christian had been staying at the Nu Hotel in Brooklyn — until management suddenly notified her that her room was booked to someone else.
She had to haul suitcases, strollers and bags of clothes as she couch-surfed for several days.
“I didn’t think I was going to have it together here for Christmas,” she said. “It’s a week away and I had nothing. This Christmas is about how lucky we are to have friends and family.”
A home for the holidays: Sandy victims’ relief
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A home for the holidays: Sandy victims’ relief
