Good Samaritans help flood, fire victims

in community stories

The worst of times can bring out the best in Filipinos.

This was particularly true in the case of a Chinese-Filipino family who voluntarily provided shelter to their neighbors when floods spawned by Storm “Ondoy” left a huge part of Metro Manila underwater on Saturday.

On Agno and Kaliraya Streets in Quezon City, some 1,000 families spent the night on dry ground and with full stomachs after a kind-hearted Chinese-Filipino family invited them into their house.

“If they hadn’t invited us inside their house, more people would probably be dead because we had nowhere else to go. There’s fire above and water below and then you might get electrocuted if you hold on to dangling electrical wires,” Raul Tabuena, a resident in the area, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in Filipino.

Senior Police Officer 3 Jerry Abad of the Quezon City Police Department reported that seven people, including a six-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, were killed in the fire.

Residents had just resigned themselves to spending the night submerged in floodwater when the Chinese family invited them to spend the night in their house.

“They opened their gate and invited us to go inside and gave us food and allowed us to stay the night until the flood subsided and the fire stopped.” Tabuena said.

They were also given dry clothes and a hot meal, while some children, who were covered in mud and soot, were given a bath.

“It was an opportunity to help and helping is a luxury. We are not expecting anything in return,” the owner of the house told the Philippine Daily Inquirer as he asked for anonymity.

Read the full story: Good Samaritans help flood, fire victims – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos. By Nancy C. Carvajal with Edson C. Tandoc Jr.

Good Samaritans rally to help woman

in community stories

Earlier in September, two thieves stole all the money of a 94-year-old Loxley woman. She had saved the money to paint her home. Now some Good Samaritans have come to her rescue.

The house used to be a dingy gray color, but not anymore. People in the community came together over the weekend to repaint the outside of her home. Her neighbors and church members volunteered to do the work, at no charge.

“It just done me good. I was just overjoyed with it. A lot of them I knew, and I a lot of them I didn’t know,” said Hayes.

Hayes says about 100 people came out to do the work.

“They cut down bushes and piled them up. The fire department said they would leave it there two weeks and they would come back and burn them,” said Hayes.

The grandmother says this is a good example of a bad situation turned good.

“It put a deeper love in my heart for them,” said Hayes.

Hayes says this tells her that criminals are not alone in the world, but Good Samaritans are here as well.

Read the full story: Good Samaritans rally to help woman | Fox10tv.com.

Community rallies to help child in need

in community stories

When a little boy needed help, this tight-knit farming community came to his rescue.

The response has been overwhelming.

“At a time when the economy is so bad,” Lumber Bridge resident Marvin Lynne Maxwell said, “the heart is strong.”

This is the story of 6-year-old Nate Forbis, who needs a kidney transplant. And of his neighbor down the street, Alan Brunnet, who turned out to be a willing donor and a perfect match.

It is also the story of the kind-hearted people from the little church that both families attend who are mobilizing all the resources they can find in an effort to help.

“Our goal is 3,000 plates,” Maxwell said.

Nate was 18 months old and seemingly a normal toddler before his family found out something was wrong.

“He was wide open,” said his father, Lumber Bridge farmer Henry Forbis. “He still is.”

But Nate was born with just one kidney, a fact revealed by ultrasound. People can survive with only one kidney, but Nate’s was functioning at only 15 percent. At less than 10 percent, doctors recommend dialysis.

Doctors said Nate would eventually need a transplant, but they wanted to delay the operation as long as possible.

The time, however, arrived when Nate could no longer live the life of a normal child with his original kidney. He was put on the transplant list. Along the way, he also was put on the prayer list at Lumber Bridge Presbyterian Church.

That’s where Brunnet saw Nate’s name.

Brunnet, who will soon turn 50, said he felt led by God to find out whether he was a match for Nate.

When it turned out that indeed he was, Brunnet didn’t hesitate. Both surgeries are scheduled for Oct. 6 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

“I was in the Army 20 years and jumped out of an airplane for 17 years,” Brunnet said. “You know what I’m worried about? I’m worried that something’s going to happen to me that I can’t give him.”

Henry Forbis is a third-generation farmer who has worked hard all his life in Lumber Bridge. His parents, Marylen and Elbert, know most everyone in town.

When church members found out Nate would undergo a kidney transplant, they knew the medical expenses would accumulate quickly.

They decided to organize a plate sale to help. The next thing they knew, everyone seemed to want to pitch in.

“Around here, somebody’s pain is everybody’s pain,” said Maxwell, who has helped organize the Oct. 2 plate sale. Maxwell and her husband, Jimmy, and Jackie and Britt Riddle are heading the event.

“One church called and pledged a cake,” Maxwell said. “Another church called and offered to come serve. Businesses offered to help. It has just mushroomed.”

Henry Forbis says that adequate words are difficult to find. How, after all, do you thank someone who is giving your child the gift of life? Or people who are doing so much to ease the burden you are carrying?

“It makes me feel good,” he said. “I’ve been kind of blown away.”

via FayObserver.com – Community rallies to help child in need. By Kim Hasty

Helping others shows strength of community

in community stories

Is there a better example of neighbor helping neighbor than outpouring of assistance for the Hector Navarro family, left homeless by a fire at their rented home in Normal.

Without renters’ insurance, they lost an estimated $70,000 in personal possessions in the Aug. 24 fire.

But their plight touched people in the Bloomington-Normal community – people who didn’t even know the family with six children.

As word spread the offers of help spread — from individuals, businesses and organizations.

You can debate all you want about how the quality of life in this community is affected by Constitution Trail, golf courses, the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, renovating Uptown Normal, etc. But a big part of what makes this community special is the way in which people help each other, whether it is helping an individual carry items to their car and other random acts of kindness outlined in letters to the editor, helping to pay for the funeral of a drowning victim or donating money, clothing, appliances and even a temporary place to live to fire victims.

via Helping others shows strength of community.

Richmond community reaches out for 4-year-old’s battle with leukemia

in community stories

There’s no telling what a street of neighbors can do when one of them is in need.

On Friday Sept. 11, friends, relatives and strangers came together for a carnival at Richmond City Park to raise money for Lacey and Bret Abbott, whose 4-year-old daughter, Taylie, was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Melissa Roylance, a neighbor of the Abbott family, said the carnival was put together by a committee of neighbors who live on the same street. Within three weeks of Taylie’s diagnosis, they were able to get donations from several businesses in Cache Valley, as well volunteers, for a silent auction, raffle drawing and carnival that included games and food.

“I walked up and you can’t control your emotions,” said Lacey. “It’s overwhelming. It’s awesome.”

Lacey sat on a chair in the grass near a table where volunteers were selling tickets for the games, hamburgers and a bounce house. Her husband, Bret, was close by and both of them said neighbors did everything for the fundraiser. Bret called a friend the night before and asked if there was anything he could to help, but he was told to not worry about it. The carnival drew hundreds of people and Lacey said she didn’t know half of them.

“They are just a great, wonderful family that is very deserving of all of this help,” said Roylance, who was one of at least a dozen committee members wearing red shirts with “Taylie’s Hope” written on the front. “They are a great family. I think one of the reasons that we got such a great response is that we know them. We just love them. They are so friendly and so welcoming.”

At times the Abbotts seemed a little overwhelmed with all the support as friends kept stopping by to talk and offer assistance with babysitting, money or food. Lacey and Bret have two other little girls, 2-year-old Mayzi and newborn Sunnie, who have been bounced around on this journey with them the last couple of weeks.

The Abbotts are quick to admit not all of the help they have received has come from people they know. Bret said checks have been sent to them in the mail from people they’ve never met.

via The Herald Journal Serving Logan and Cache Valley > News > Taylie’s hope: Richmond community reaches out for 4-year-old’s battle with leukemia. By Manette Newbold