BERWICK, Pa. — The kitchen inside Maria Assunta Society on Monroe Street in Berwick is preparing 400 free dinners for the community meal put on by the Berwick Community Giving Foundation and Berwick Area United Way organization.
This community dinner comes after a short-lived but strong storm raged through the area late last month leaving major damage in its wake but bringing the community together.
"We're a small community, but when it comes to something like this, everybody pulls together. It doesn't matter if you set your differences aside. You might not like the neighbor right next door to you or two doors down, but when this happens, you're the first ones working together, helping together," said Chief Bill Coolbaugh, Berwick Fire Department.
"So Berwick is, we say, 'Little town, big heart.' Our mayor says that, and it's so true. There were streets lined with volunteers. We had the football players out helping; we had other volunteers just out," said Ayrin Shortlidge, United Way Community Impact Coordinator.
Little town, big heart is the exact sentiment Beverly Blade recited after expressing her appreciation for the help of her neighbors when a tree fell on her mobile home during the storm, leaving her son trapped in his room, "The ceiling came down, and his door we couldn't get it open, really; he had to rip part of the ceiling down because it came down and he couldn't. I mean, he's okay. He didn't get injured, but he was trapped a little bit."
With Blade's home now condemned, she's receiving help from various organizations in the community.
Berwick United Way and Community Giving Foundation are still increasing efforts to support those impacted by the storm.
"We do have a questionnaire out there right now to the nonprofits to see what increased need they have because of the storm, and we'll be meeting this week to really look at that and figure out how we can use the funding we have available to support them," said Kara Seesholtz, President & CEO Community Giving Foundation.
Kara Seesholtz is the president and CEO of the Community Giving Foundation. She says any resident still in need of help is encouraged to reach out to nonprofits throughout the area.
"Yeah, small towns, as they say," said Blade.
Organizers and residents both agree that the aftermath of the storm showed how Berwick truly is a little town with a big heart.