SOMETIMES when we do something to help another person, we don’t actually see the result.
We don’t do it for the attention, and we don’t always know if the goal was achieved.
We respond because their plight touches our heart – and because it is the right thing to do.
So when the call went out for assistance for the furry victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the organizers of a drive here in Mercer County did not know how you would respond.
They felt like they could get a tractor-trailer full of pet supplies, but there was no real way to know for sure.
In fact, they did not even know if they could get a truck at first.
But you responded – big time.
Not only did they fill a trailer, they filled another and another.
We were not surprised.
There is something about this community that is special. It is why when there is a need, it is answered.
And it is why deep down, the volunteers from All Paws Matter, Club Pet Adoption and the Humane Society of Mercer County were not surprised when Joy Cone came up with the first trailer, and the community made sure it was more than full. And then PI&I came up with more trailers to carry the overflow.
Those supplies did make it to Texas. And in today’s edition of The Herald, you will see the result, a rare look at where your donations went and whom they helped.
And every person who traveled over to drop off food, beds, cages, water, bleach and treats, and the volunteers from Tractor Supply and Lowe’s Home Improvement Store, who offered their support and time, should be very proud of the difference they made.
You can see in the photos just how many animals needed help.
The supplies you sent were part of the support volunteers and shelters needed to save them and to care for them while they wait for their owners or new homes.
And Joy Cone and PI&I deserve our admiration as well. There was no hesitation when the companies found out that their community needed help to make a humanitarian mission a reality.
That is what good companies, and good neighbors, do.
We are lucky to have such community-first companies located right here.
There are too many people to thank individually, dozens of companies, individuals and organizations who decided that they were not going to just sit back and watch the devastation with tears in their eyes. They made sure Texas knew that Pennsylvania and Ohio were right there with them.
And while the local effort was fabulous and above and beyond, it was one of many drives across the country for animals, for families and for the first steps Texans and Floridians will need to get back on their feet.
It is just another example of what we have known for decades and generations.
We might fight. We might bicker. We might disagree.
But when the chips are down, and when it really matters, this country comes together.
And it always will.
