AKRON — When the plane fell from the sky Tuesday killing everyone on board and wiping out multiple apartments on Mogadore Road, it sent a ripple effect through Akron.
Keri Stevens, like so many in Akron, couldn’t help thinking it could have been her. It Could have been her family. It Could have been her home.
“We literally cried,” Stevens said. “I live one and a half blocks from here. We can’t imagine. My daughter and son were home.”
So when she posted a plea on Facebook to help her neighbors, people responded in a big way from Akron and beyond.
Stevens did what she does so well around the holidays and rallied for her neighbors who need help. This time collecting clothes and furniture and personal items for those three families who lost everything.
“Just imagine the devastation. You’re at work for the day or wherever and you have nothing left when you come home. So let’s really rally together and help these people out.”
Volunteers started showing up at Stevens’ Pizza Pan location on Canton Road to sort through donations that kept coming in all day Wednesday.
“We have someone who donated an entire warehouse.”
She said that one donation was an “entire warehouse” of items including washers, dryers, coffee pots, clothes, toys, Christmas trees and furniture.
Now she’s hoping all of this says to those families fortunate to be alive but needing help now more than ever.
“We love you guys. We care about you. We’re here. We got ya!”
Stevens was also moved to tears Wednesday, Veterans Day, when a veteran showed up at Pizza Pan offering to use his truck and other “veteran buddies” to deliver all the donations.
An account is being set up at U.S. Bank locations under “Help for the Families of Akron a Plane Crash.”