North Carolina

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We got power tonight and will have garbage pickup tomorrow.

My wife and I spent 8AM to 8PM every day doing the following:
Charging cellphones, battery packs, computers
Gave out batteries and loaned flashlights
Recharged each day, a CPAP power pack I loaned to a neighbor
Had people cooking food at our house for themselves.
Allowing neighbors to use our washer and dryer
Filling our freezer and refrigerator compartments with neighbors' food.
Loaned out coolers.
Providing ice packs that I've been saving from my insulin shipments to neighbors and giving them out, then when returned, refreezing them while giving the people replacements.
Driving and walking the neighborhood most of the day each day to check on neighbors including the shut-in and arranging with other neighbors to provide them with food.
Using my small chainsaw to remove some downed trees including one blocking a road, and, as VP of my HOA, providing names of contractors to neighbors who had trees hit their homes or roof damage.
Providing power to attached neighbor's townhouse for their refrigerator.
Loaning a portable generator I used before I got the whole house one to a neighbor who connected the townhouse attached to his for their refrigerator.
And, last but not least, bought 72 ice cream sandwiches to hand out to neighbors I could find yesterday and today, telling them it was a Christmas present, to raise their lagging spirits. Their surprised faces really warmed my heart.

But I don't feel special for doing it. I was only being a neighbor that had the opportunity to help others and so I did it. Helping others less fortunate is simply an obligation and a duty, not deserving of any praise or honor. The biggest thing I did was to get others to provide help to each other.

Tomorrow, I will change the sign to read that we are all now on the road to full recovery but there are still neighbors in the nearby communities that need help and we need to help them.

Years ago, our car broke down in a rural area. A man stopped by and helped me get it going. I offered him money but he declined telling me to pass it on and just help someone else when I could. I took that to heart and every time I help someone and they want to offer me something, I decline and tell them to pass it on. Unless, of course, the offer involves chocolate. That I can't decline. It's un-American.