By Greg Ellison

(Aug. 13, 2020) In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isasis, a group of chainsaw-equipped and work boot-clad volunteers organized through the “Worcester County Local Help for You: Facebook page went into last Saturday to remove tree debris from half a dozen yards in Ocean Pines.

In March, following the onset of covid-19 related restrictions, Colby Phillips organized the Worcester County Local Help for You group to assist elderly community members acquire food, medicines and other necessities.

The effort built up a network of a few dozen people who were deployed last weekend to help Pines residents clean up yards strewn with trees and branches.

“There are people I know in the community who are on very strict fixed incomes and they also physically can’t get to their yard,” she said.

Helping Phillips corral helping hands last weekend were Connor Braniff and Jimmy Parenti.

“The three of us were behind the scenes coordinating,” she said. “They got a lot of those people involved on Facebook.”

Before Saturday, a social media post that advised residents with storm-related needs that help was available solicited several calls.

“At first, it was just ‘Can you run by and check on my house because I’m not there?’ or ‘Could you check on my parents because they’re saying it’s fine but I’m worried?’” she said.

The outreach effort got more hands on after 10 volunteers gathered at the Sports Core Pool Saturday morning to address yards cluttered with storm damage, with nearly half a dozen properties tackled in a few short hours

Among those assisted on Saturday were residents Jennifer and James Compston, whose property took a wallop from Isasis.

“The storm brought down the neighbor’s trees into our backyard and one landed on our house,” she said.

The couple was relieved the wayward tree failed to dent their roof but backyard damage was still significant.

“It did crash through our deck and smashed the railing,” she said.

When the Compstons contacted their homeowner’s insurance company about the structural damage, they were dismayed to discover their policy does not cover removal of other storm-related yard debris.

“The whole backyard was almost completely coved with trees, not branches,” she said.

The couple was informed by their insurance carrier they would have to foot the bill for removing trees laying on the ground and not touching their home.

“My husband is disabled and we’re on a fixed income,” she said.

The assistance was greatly appreciated, as the damage was significant.

“Bless their hearts. They really helped me out greatly because the trees that were on the ground were like big, large whole tree trunks.”

Ironically, the couple had initially contacted the volunteer group out of concern for a nearby resident with comparable needs.

“Our neighbor across the street … he’s actually the one I called about because he’s elderly and had lost an arm,” she said. “My husband went over and helped him pickup some branches but he, likewise, had a tree fall in his backyard.

“When the crew showed up, they came and looked at my yard and said, ‘We can take care of your yard,’” she said. “They brought their chainsaws and got to work.”

While the assistance was focused in Ocean Pines, the helping hands came from across the county.

“Half of the volunteers weren’t from the Pines,” Phillips said. “That’s always the beauty of this community as a whole. People come together … whether its Ocean City, Ocean Pines or Belin.”

Photo courtesy Jennifer Compston
Ocean Pines resident Jennifer Compston had a close call last week after a neighbors tree uprooted by Tropical Storm Isasis, while nearly crushing an outside deck, narrowly avoided hitting her house.

Phillips encourages anyone looking to volunteer time and energy in the future to follow the Worcester County Local Help for You Facebook page.

“I post on that page as needs arise,” she said. “Sometimes we need someone that might be able to fix a gutter.”

Phillips said some residents with needs might be hesitant to ask for help for fear of burdening others, but it is important to realize there are numerous community members willing to lend a helping hand.

“There’s a lot more people wanting to help than … people get to see,” she said. “I’m blessed I get to see that.”

To learn more visit Worcester County Local Help for You on Facebook or email localhelp4youwc@gmail.com to inquire about assistance.

“I’m always amazed at the goodness of people and wanting to help others,” she said. “I’m not surprised because it never fails that people are always willing to help.”