Kindness prevails during weekend storm in Butler County
In October, Dave and Dawn Mock experienced a major personal loss when the milk barn at their farm in Penn Township burned to the ground. Butler County’s agricultural community responded by raising over $50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign.
On Monday, Jan. 26, Dave Mock saw an opportunity to repay the favor to the community. The day after Butler County experienced its most severe snowstorm in years, Mock brought out his tractor to assist dozens of his neighbors in digging out of their homes and driveways.
“He’s been a little bored lately,” Dawn Mock said. “So he decided to get out and do something and help everybody else in the community that’s been so supportive of us.”
According to her, the instrument Dave Mock used to perform the plowing was a blade attached to his Case JX80 tractor.
“I think he ended up doing almost everybody on Powell Road that didn’t have their driveway plowed already,” Dawn said. “He did some on Three Degree (Road). He went over to Beacon Road and did a few over there. I couldn’t even tell you how many he did.”
One of those who had their driveway plowed out by Mock was Paula Grubbs, a former reporter and community editor with the Butler Eagle who retired in late 2024. Like many others, her driveway was snowed in and she had plans that night to play in a weekly trivia game at the Hardwood Cafe in Penn Township.
“He told my boyfriend that he was so grateful for the help that the surrounding area gave him after the bonfire that he decided to plow driveways,” Grubbs said. “I was totally delighted because I was snowed in. There are people begging to have their driveways plowed and paying a lot of money and he did a professional job. I’m really, really grateful.”
“He didn’t charge anyone,” Dawn Mock said. “Though I think he got a few goodies. My neighbor offered him a pie and somebody dropped off some cookies.”
Mock’s wasn’t the only act of generosity seen in Butler County in the aftermath of this weekend’s storm. Across community groups on social media over the weekend numerous individuals and small businesses all over Butler County offered their services to either shovel or plow snow from driveways, either at reduced rates or for free.
The Harrisville Volunteer Fire Company held an impromptu “shoveling party” on Monday afternoon, Jan. 26, requesting volunteers to bring their shovels to the fire station to help dig out any Harrisville residents who were unable to shovel themselves.
“We had a few people show up to help. We had a lot of neighbors helping neighbors which was fantastic to see,” said Calista Myers, president of the company. “I had one person reach out to me for help and then contacted me back and said she had a plow coming.”
Neighbors helping neighbors is also the object of Cranberry Township’s “Snow Angel” program, which pairs willing volunteers with elderly or disabled residents who request help with removing snow from their property after a winter storm.
According to Cranberry Township’s website, the demand for assistance from the program is so great the township has closed its request waitlist. As of Tuesday, 39 residents are on the waitlist and the township is asking them to seek alternative snow removal solutions.
