MILFORD, Conn. — Between storms, a builder in Connecticut uses his skid loader to plow his neighbors’ driveways. In Maryland, a good Samaritan hands out water and M&Ms to stranded drivers. The mayor of Philadelphia urges residents to “be kind” and help one another out — and they respond by doing just that.
Across the Northeast, full of large cities where people wear their brusqueness like a badge of honor, neighbors and even strangers are banding together to beat back what is shaping up to be one of the most brutal winters in years — and it appears to be contagious.
“It seems to have started a whole grass-roots movement of people helping one another,” said Cindy Twiss, a school administrator in Milford.
She is among the lucky neighbors of Danny Blanchet, the builder who uses his 7,500- pound yellow “skid steer” to plow Twiss and others out in mere minutes for jobs that would take their shovels hours to complete.
“Last storm I did 35 people,” Blanchet said, beaming and decked out in sunglasses and a sweater knitted by his sister. “I just happen to have a bigger shovel than they do.”
It’s true that this winter’s frequent storms — some areas of the East are on track for record snowfalls — might be leading neighbors to interact more and help one another cope, said Lauren Ross, an assistant professor of sociology at Quinnipiac University.
“Because there is this need, people are really stepping up,” Ross said.
“They become people you can empathize with. It’s sort of this collective pattern we’re experiencing.”
Ross said she experienced it herself when she left her condo to dig out her car and neighbors quickly showed up to help. That led her to help other neighbors too.
