An ice storm of immense proportions sieged Arkansas last month.  It was ranked one of the worst Arkansas has seen since the 1950’s.  Destruction and chaos was found on every corner but all hope wasn’t lost.

Some of the students within the Buffalo Island district spent their time and energy to help their community.  Even though they could have chose to worry only about themselves, they instead chose to make a difference in this time of need.

Drey Crabtree, a resident of Leachville, is one of these students that felt led to help those within his neighborhood.  Leachville had taken a direct hit from this storm. Debris from trees was a constant nuisance that plagued those in town. Unfortunately, it was a larger obstacle for Drey’s next door neighbor. His neighbor had been diagnosed with lung cancer. A person with this sort of ailment would need the ability to leave quickly at any time. Drey immediately took it upon himself to clear his neighbor’s driveway of the large branches.

“There was a branch in his driveway so I went over there and pulled it out so he could get out,”  Drey simply stated. The danger of falling branches and the freezing temperature did not defer him from his task.  He was more concerned of his neighbor’s health than his own comfort. “I knew my neighbor needed help so it was not really a labor at all,” he quoted.  “Temporary discomfort is worth it when you know you helped someone.”

Drey’s act of charity did not end there.  He organized a group consisting of fellow students to continue clean up within his whole community.  Through their extended efforts, a portion of Leachville is thankful to these active students.

Other students viewed this situation in a different light. They saw that there was a group that needed just as much support as those who lived in town. Madison Finch, a resident of Black Oak, devoted her time to preparing meals for the electricians of Entergy. She spent approximately four and a half days in the school cafeteria providing these meals. She was present 10 hours on average of these  days.

On these days, their focus was so undivided that they even neglected aspects of their own life.  “We wore our pjs most of the time,” she admitted.  Though this was a time-consuming task, she doesn’t regret her decision. “It was amazing how happy they were just to be able to eat something warm,” she stated. She continued to say, “they were so thankful and it made us feel like we had served our purpose by being there.”

Madison knew how these workers were struggling through prior personal experiences. “My grandpa worked for Entergy before he died and so that was my inspiration,” she informed.

These students could have easily just stayed home.  They weren’t obligated to be a part of cleaning up.  This whole disaster was not their fault yet they willingly sacrificed for others.  No reward or benefit was obtained from their hard work.  Only the gratitude from their fellow neighbors and the desire of being useful fueled the acts of love.