WYOMISSING, Pa.- For Eleisha Samuels, the manager at Telia Perfect Greek in Wyomissing, Hurricane Melissa’s landing in Jamaica hit home.
“The eye hit to where my family lives, which is in Westmoreland. And it’s very devastating down there, like my family, their houses are completely flat,” Samuels said.
So, her mother-in-law and four close friends decided to act. The idea was born during their daily Coffee Klatch.
“And they said, ‘you know what? Let’s do something. Dolores, can you go see if you can talk to George Zeppos?’ So, I came over that afternoon. I said to George, what do you think? Can you help us put together a fundraiser? And he just grabbed his paper, and he said, ‘let’s do it’,” Dolores Bertoti said.
The fundraiser was a success. They raised more than $16,000.
“They had board houses before. But now with the fundraiser, they’re going to start building concrete houses,” Samuels said.
For Eleisha, watching from afar has been painful, but here in Berks County, she isn’t alone.
“These ladies have been my backbone since I’m here. Without them, I’m basically nothing. So, they are a really strong backbone for me. They support me physically, mentally, and emotionally. And for that, I’m really thankful and grateful for them,” Samuels added.