Photo Credit: Unknown
With the holiday season here and 2011 almost at its end, WGBY is reflecting on the resilience, ingenuity and generosity of people that make up our viewing communities.
This year we endured a destructive tornado, faced damaging floods brought upon by Hurricane Irene and─most recently─dealt with a surprisingly early and devastating snow storm.
Our local program, Connecting Point, will feature stories this month about people helping other people with the strong “Community Spirit” that Western New Englanders are known for during challenging times.
Do you have a story about how your community came together to help people in need? This is a perfect time of year to reflect on those selfless acts and thank them.
Please share your story in the comments below. Come back to see what others have to say and don’t forget to watch the special Community Spirit segments on WGBY’s Connecting Point weeknights at 7:30 through December. One of these stories may be yours!
I’m thankful for the friends I spent time with during and after the great Halloween snowstorm of 2011. I had planned on a party with friends Saturday night in central Mass, and when the news of the storm got to us, they made their party into a slumber party. The lights flickered and the snow was falling, but we ate pizza, looked at travel photos of places that were much warmer and less wet, and talked until 2 AM. Sunday morning, our hosts came down to find four of us, all grownups with real jobs and mortgages and careers, giggling on the sofa under a sleeping bag like college kids in the dorm on a Sunday. We ate breakfast as we watched the snow melt and the trees unbend.
As I was leaving to go back to Holyoke, I got word from other friends that there were lines for gasoline in town, and that I should get gas and ice and milk before returning because my power was almost certainly out. They were right about that! I kept in touch with friends and family that night in the remaining charge on my mobile phone, while my two cats slept on top of me for warmth. The next day, we heard that many restaurants in Hadley were open again, and we met there for lunch to have some warm food. It was a relief to have the lights back on after only 2 nights, but I enjoyed the time with my friends too.