Ten months ago, Superstorm Sandy flooded Trinity Parish Nursery School in Southport with, at the storm's peak, five to six feet of water, gutting the facility.
On Tuesday, members of Trinity Episcopal Church, school staff, neighbors, supporters, and volunteers celebrated the nursery school's reopening.
"I'm feeling very blessed," Trinity Parish Nursery School Director Meg Reilly said following a ribbon cutting ceremony.
"This community of people worked so hard and worked together -- it's a true testament to the parish and the Southport community."
She and Rev. Dawn Stegelman, the church's associate rector, recalled working on the building in the weeks that followed Sandy, bundled up in scarves and gloves because the heat hasn't been turned back on yet.
"It's what made us a team," Stegelman said of the tough times volunteers, parents, staff, and church members went through to get the school back up and running. A. Poppajohn Company Construction and Geddes Architects were also integral to restoring the facility, Reilly said.
After Sandy, students and teachers were relocated to Trinity Greek Church on Park Avenue in Bridgeport. That too would have been impossible without the help of parents, parish members, and the supportive community, Reilly said.
Senior Warden John Morgan was happy to report Tuesday that despite everything, "the teachers kept the faith -- they're back." Enrollment is nearly back to pre-Sandy levels.
"Southport, we're back," Morgan said.
Selectman Cristin McCarthy Vahey added that the school's story is an "amazing" one, filled with "hope and resilience."
"You can feel the energy and spirit here, the sense of hope," she added.
That sense of hope is recurring among Trinity parishioners and supporters -- this is not the first time the building has been resorted. The church was burned to the ground by the British in 1779 and destroyed by a tornado in 1862.
Each time, however, the building was restored. And now it's ready for class to start for Trinity Parish Nursery schoolers on Monday.
Those interested in helping the church and school continue to rebuild should visit trinitysouthport.org for how to donate.
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