Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The residents of Buffalo's East Side community have been dealt a blow with the temporary loss of the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue following the horrific mass shooting that took place on May 14.
Not only did it tragically cut the lives of 10 people short, but it also a created a "food desert" for a neighborhood that doesn't have another source for food and other essential goods needed for miles.
While the plans are to eventually re-open the Tops in Buffalo's East Side - whether on site in the 1200 block of Jefferson Avenue or moving the supermarket elsewhere in the neighborhood - it will remain closed for a while, which has created a need for residents to find their essential goods elsewhere.
That's where a number of people have come together from near-and-far to help out the East Side community, setting up a number of different distribution centers to fulfill everyone's needs. Whether it's a fresh meal for families, a week's worth of groceries, or daily necessities like toiletries, Western New York has donated their goods to help others with the most needs.
This also includes a number of folks donating their time to be able to help bring community members all that they need during these tough times. Whether it's dishing out food, gathering and delivering goods, or putting together grocery bags with essentials for people to take home, there has been no shortage of people flocking to the neighborhood to make an impact.
While the objective is to help as many people as possible to make every day life just a bit easier during the tough times, the volunteers who line up to help out each have their own reasons for stepping up to the plate.
"My nephew Russell is very involved in this organization. He's the one that organized all the restaurants to come and help out with all this," said Celeste Hartman, who's been volunteering at the World Central Kitchen. "We're more than happy to come and volunteer, and serve and be part of the endeavor. It's a great endeavor."
"Being in the United States Army 25 years, going overseas, seeing other nations, it's in your heart to give back," said Butch Sanford, who's volunteering at the mobile Tops site on 347 East Ferry Street. "You have to love to do this, the violence here and come and give back. You just don't do it neglectfully, you've got to do it willingly, have a willing heart. I just love people. I love all people. That's why I told you before, they know me. I've been doing this for 30 years, I love people, and I'm glad to be doing this."
Some volunteers have been on site since May 14 shortly after the incident at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue took place. Others have been coming and going to help out, giving as much time as they can to volunteer and support the community.
"I have been here since last Wednesday. I had initially signed up for a couple days last week for a couple hours, and then ended up staying as long as possible every day," said Leah Houghtaling, who was also at the mobile Tops location. "I plan on being here Monday through Friday, this week."
Even in some cases, there are those who have traveled across the country to join the cause and help volunteer.
"Well, I came up from New Orleans. I'm a 38-year volunteer," said Deb Gibson, who came to Buffalo through the American Red Cross. "This is my first incident like this, but I love the fact that all these good neighbors didn't let hate take over their city. They didn't let anger. This has given me such faith in what I do and why I do it."
In addition to locals and outsiders helping out and volunteering their time to the cause, we have seen a number of prominent figures donating their time as well, including a number of current and former Buffalo sports figures with the Bills, Sabres and Bandits.
Another former Bills player, Leonard Smith, still has ties to the Buffalo community after spending parts of four seasons in Western New York. He, too, understands the importance of giving back to the community, as they gave for him and the team when he joined the organization.
"This is home for me," said Smith, while volunteering at the World Central Kitchen. "I have a wife that's with the [District Attorney's] Office, Natalie Perez. So this is something dear to me, a community that has always opened its arms to me, so I'm giving something I can give back. Just writing a check is one thing, but giving something from the heart is even more."
While the East Side community continues to heal and recover from the tragedy that took so much from them 11 days ago, they also have showed their support for volunteers right back. A number of pleasantries have been exchanged between residents and those helping out, which has been a rewarding experience for the volunteers.
"As you can see around, we are just seeing 'Buffalove' in action every day," Houghtaling said. "The other day, we had two volunteers that were here from New Jersey, had never been to Buffalo before, don't know anyone in Buffalo, and they just felt like they needed to be here. They flew in in the morning, came here and worked, and they flew out that night. They had seen exactly what Buffalo is all about, Buffalonians coming together."
"Everybody is so thankful. That is the one thing they all say is thank you so much for being here. Thank you for giving your time. Thank you for feeding us. So very, very thankful," Hartman said.
Meanwhile, for an outsider like Gibson coming to Buffalo, she has been extremely impressed with the way the community has handled the hardship and bounced back in a positive way.
"Truly, this is the most amazing city I've been to in a long time at their worst possible time, and they're shining. They're rocking it. They're showing America how to do it," she said.
"I think that it's just love and action, and people are really spending as much time as they can, whether it's after work or before work or coming during work, it's just been amazing seeing everybody just all hands on deck," said Houghtaling. "I think it's been really heartwarming, but also super important that things like this continue on after the initial two weeks. This is really important, and we can't forget why we're here."
Until a Tops location, or another supermarket opens back up for the East Side community, the outpouring of support for residents is expected to continue, as will the healing process. For some like Sanford, this also includes the process of looking past the actions that took place on May 14.
"I do not hate the person who did that. I disliked what he did, but really I don't like the furnace that hate came from. You got people that was attacking the Capitol, you got people that was attacking the Supreme Court and had to put a fence around. That furnace is what fueled this young man, 18-years-old, to actually commit that act. So therefore, everybody needs help. Hopefully he gets his help, the families, I hope they're comforting."
If you are interested in making donations to any of the local distribution centers in the East Side communities, volunteers are asking for donations of diapers and pull-ups, especially those for ages 3-and-up, as well as feminine pads.
