After Irene: Neighbors Helping Neighbors
“The Stratton Foundation has already raised $300,000,” according to Foundation Coordinator Tammy Mosher. “Since our mission is to pro-vide financial support to the community, Irene was a perfect opportunity. Oliver Olsen, the State Representative from Jamaica, Londonderry, Stratton, Weston and Winhall contacted the foundation, suggesting we serve as a central clearinghouse for donations. Many Stratton homeowners as well as others have been very generous.”
Mary Sikes, another Heartworks angel, learned of four Londonderry homeowners and six business wrecked by flooding. Heartworks wrote checks to each of them and spread the word of a community lunch to support the townspeople where everyone had a bite to eat as well as a chance to tell their story. “The look on peoples’ faces just from knowing someone cared about them was unforgettable,” Sikes remembers.
The outpouring of community support has helped boost the emotional and physical needs of those affected by Irene but hundreds of people are still struggling. As Patti Komline sums up, “We will be there for our neighbors and our communities for as long as it takes.”◊
Mari S. Gold is a writer and communications expert who divides her time between Dorset, VT and New York City. She blogs on food and travel at www.marigoldonline.net