FOREST, Va. – Jenein Merie and her daughters Hope and Lilly were having breakfast Thursday morning when they heard an unforgettable sound.
“We just heard a giant ‘BOOM’ and the whole house shook. The window shook. I had thought a bomb had gone off. I really did,” Merie said.
The family called the Bedford County Fire Department. Two big eroding trees fell on their home, landing on top of Lilly’s room.
“They determined that it's structurally OK. We just can’t be in that room. And obviously the ceiling is going to start leaking I can hear it in various places,” Merie said.
The single mom was packed and ready to move out this Sunday. But this incident rushed the process, leaving her with no help.
“We’re just praying and hoping that this community can come out and show up and get our stuff off the truck and help us. We can really use the help,” Merie said.
Shortly after our interview and our Facebook live post asking people to help.
Jennifer Reynolds, a WSLS 10 viewer and stranger to Merie, made a few calls to church members and more than 20 people showed up.
10 News reporter Magdala Louissaint asked Reynolds, “Is everyone here a part of your church?”
Reynolds replied, “No, not all. I think some of them probably saw your post, like I did, and just came to help. So I’m not sure where everybody’s from. But it’s just what you do. I would want somebody to help me, if I needed it.”
Just when Merie thought she was alone, social media proved to her, there are still some good people out there.
“A lot of gratitude to this community and to the people who were showing up to help us, who don’t even know what’s going on. To Mrs. Reynolds, from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, who rented us a U-Haul … just people being so kind. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you,” Merie said.