How a Facebook group rallies the kindness of strangers, long after Snowmageddon

Back in January, as people in eastern Newfoundland stared out their windows at a record-breaking blizzard, Cortney Barber could only stare into her computer screen.

Barber grew up in Avondale, but was living in Alberta when Snowmageddon struck. She spent the week watching desperate Facebook posts pile up like the mountains of snow that came with the record-setting blizzard.

"I'm a mom of four kids," Barber said.

"And I just saw so many of my friends and people in my network, they didn't have diapers, they didn't have formula, there was people barricaded in their house."

She couldn't grab a shovel, but Barber decided she could offer some long-distance help. She started a Facebook groupcalled Neighbours in Need Newfoundland.

"We went to 5,000members in the first 18hours," she said. "We had a big rescue crew that was going around shovelling people out of their homes. We were delivering food, connecting neighbours to their neighbours."

By the time the state of emergency was lifted in eastern Newfoundland, Barber realized the network she had built was too big and the need was too great to let it all melt away.

"Just the vulnerable people that we were exposed to during those couple of weeks, just made us realize that we had to keep going," Barber said.

From groceries to glasses

Over the following months, Neighbours in Need Newfoundland transformed into a hive of outreach projects, an informal but effective way of connecting people who needed help with those who could give it. Group members have donated money, clothes, foodand, most of all, their time.

"We've done so many things from fixing broken pipes in somebody's house, to mending a fence that's blown down, to helping somebody replace their glasses," Barber said.

In a province where food bank use is on the rise, the group focuses on providing meals and groceries to people in need. Some members take donated dollars to the grocery store, buying fresh fruit and vegetables for 20 to 30 families per week. Other members work at home in their kitchen, cooking pasta, stir-fry, and other dishes that can be portioned up for delivery.

WATCH | To see the Neighbours in Need Newfoundland group in action, play the video below:

Neighbours in Need Newfoundland

4 years ago

Duration 4:08

They came together to help during Snowmageddon, but their energy and outreach just kept snowballing.

"Some weeks we're delivering 150 meals. On special occasions we're delivering up to 300," said Barber.

Now that the holiday season has arrived, Neighbours in Need Newfoundland is making sure more families will have gifts under their tree.

"We are doing our Christmas Miracles drive, where we have selected the most vulnerable that we work closely with, to receive a Christmas miracle. Right now that's 60people," said Barber, adding that the group has already found private sponsorship for nearly every family on the list.

In St. John's, those donated Christmas gifts are already piling up in group member Deborah Price's living room. On a recent morning, a dozen blue recycling bags were piled up under her Christmas tree, each stuffed like Santa's sack.

"Debbie is amazing. She is a part of our team, and when we started our Christmas drive, she was like, 'You know what, I got lots of room. Let's use my place.' And she has been the donations centre [she]and her son William have been wrapping gifts as they come in, and it's just been wonderful."

Giving back and staying connected

A short time later, another Neighbours in Need Newfoundland volunteer is knocking at Price'sdoor. Lorinda Simmons often spends her mornings driving to the grocery store or to another member's house, picking up donations and delivering them to people on the receiving end.

"I joined this group when COVID struck," Simmons said. "Because I was laid off from my job and I needed things to do, and I thought it was a great way of contributing and giving back to the community."

Simmons loadsbags of wrapped presents into her trunk, setting them down beside the grocery bags that she's taking to her next stop.

"What I'm usually met with is somebody who is smiling," Simmons said.

"Because they know their needs are being met. Because maybe they haven't eaten for a number of days, and they have a bag of groceries. So usually people are very, very happy and very, very grateful. And as an individual and a volunteer, that's really satisfying, to see that you can help somebody else out."

A short drive later, and Simmons is knocking on another door.

This time, Trudy Morgan-White answers, and a smile immediately bursts onto her face.

"They help me out because I've been going through some rough times. They provided me with food, even with the little shoes I have on my feet here," said Morgan-White, proudly showing off a new pair of Skechers.

"But kindness just the kindness of them," she said. "They're happy to see me, and I am happy to see them. And when I can give back, I will."

From her new home in Sparwoord, B.C., Cortney Barber can feel that kindness in the posts and pictures that pile up on the Neighbours in Need Newfoundland Facebook page.

Even though she lives on the other side of the country, Barber says organizing the group has helped her stay connected to home province.

"We're a family. We've grown such an amazing team of people. I couldn't imagine not being part of that,"said Barber.

"I might live here, but my heart is at home with all of you guys."

Make the Season Kind

CBC's Make the Season Kind campaign runs from Dec. 1-18. Join us in helping local food banks, and celebrating stories of kindness in your community. You can win weekly prizes by making a donation of sharing your story.Click here to learn more.

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