Derek

Derek Prince kisses one of his nieces while celebrating Thanksgiving in Coney Island.

"It felt so good to know that I didn't have to go look for food. To know that I had a place to stay. It was like a vacation. To spend it with good people, family and friends...it was something I won't soon forget. "

Derek lost all of his belongings after his home was flooded and looted. Since Sandy struck the region, he has been sleeping on friends' couches as his apartment is uninhabitable.

Matt Richter is a documentary photographer currently based in New York City.