When Sunday's storm knocked down four trees on Russ Larrivee's property on Bridget Lane in Twinsburg, the 62-year-old resident, who is on crutches, knew there was little he could do to clean up the mess.
Two months ago, Larrivee broke his hip when he fell off a ladder.
"I have a hard time doing anything at this point," Larrivee said.
But a post on Twinsburg's Facebook page made a huge difference.
Ken Murray owns Outerscapz, a landscaping company, and offered to cut up and haul away downed trees at no cost to families who needed the help.
On Tuesday, Murray, who lives in Twinsburg, and two of his workers volunteered their time to clean up and clear Larrivee's yard.
"I see a lot of companies. They're going to use this to their advantage to make more money on top of what they already do make, so I just want to help out the community and make it a positive image," Murray said.
Larrivee is very grateful to the men who pitched in to help him, a neighbor and other Twinsburg residents.
"It says a lot about the people here. They're all very helpful with each other and they all come together," he said.
It wasn't the only act of kindness shown to storm victims. Several local restaurants offered free food to people who lost electricity.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about 7,000 households in the Twinsburg area did not have power. FirstEnergy expects to have power restored to most by Wednesday.
At Compadres Mexican Grill in Northfield, Lexi McDonald waited on a woman who seemed stressed and was forced to take her kids to a hotel because her home lost electricity.
McDonald checked with the general manager who agreed the restaurant would pick up the tab for a $40 meal.
"I just went up to the table. I'm like, 'Your bill is set for the night. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your night and drive home safe.' She was like, 'Are you serious?'" McDonald said.
With so many people going through a tough time from the storms, both Murray and McDonald are glad their good deeds made a difference.
"I felt really good for us, so I feel like she felt the same way," McDonald said.
"At the end of the day, it's just a great feeling to help out," Murray added.
