Virginia KnollsCommunity Association
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Community Spotlight

When Neighbors Show Up

How Virginia Knolls residents came together to clear a fallen tree late on a Sunday night

Neighbors gathered around the fallen tree in the parking area while cutting begins

A Sunday Night Surprise

Late Sunday evening, a large tree came down across one of the Virginia Knolls parking areas, striking vehicles and blocking access for residents.

After neighbors alerted the Board, Virginia Knolls Vice President Christine and her husband Mike came over almost immediately to see what could be done.

Mike wasted little time getting to work. Chainsaw in hand, he began cutting away branches while Christine and several neighbors started pulling limbs and debris out of the parking area.

Branches and canopy down across the parking area
Branches and canopy down across the parking area
A wider view of the blocked parking area as neighbors begin to respond
A wider view of the blocked parking area as neighbors begin to respond

Neighbors Start Pitching In

The job quickly turned out to be much larger than simply removing a few branches.

As Mike continued cutting, his chainsaw became stuck and the chain was damaged, temporarily slowing the cleanup.

Cutting into the large trunk beside a parked vehicle
Cutting into the large trunk beside a parked vehicle
Chainsaw work on the main trunk

That is when resident Jose Santander, whose own truck had been struck by the fallen tree, stepped in to help. Jose brought over another chainsaw and also helped get Mike's saw working again.

Rather than simply worrying about his own vehicle, Jose joined the effort to get the parking area cleared.

The scale of the trunk sections neighbors worked to cut apart
The scale of the trunk sections neighbors worked to cut apart

More Help Arrives

Jose then called several friends to come help.

Before long, the parking area had multiple people working together, several chainsaws running, and neighbors hauling branches and debris out of the way as quickly as they could.

What had started with just a few people responding to a fallen tree quickly became a much larger neighborhood effort.

Neighbors clearing branches from around the vehiclesMore residents joining the cleanup effort
A group gathered around the larger trunk sections later in the cleanup
A group gathered around the larger trunk sections later in the cleanup
A neighbor working directly on the fallen tree
A neighbor working directly on the fallen tree

Clearing the Way Before Monday

The work continued late into the night.

Working together around the truck and the largest cut sections

The group cut the tree away from the vehicles, broke the larger sections into manageable pieces, and cleared enough of the parking area so residents would be able to get their vehicles out and head to work the following morning.

It was an unexpected way to spend a Sunday night, but it became a memorable example of what can happen when neighbors simply show up for one another.

Later in the night, with the trunk cut back and the area opening up
Later in the night, with the trunk cut back and the area opening up
Neighbors moving cut sections out of the wayThe parking area later in the cleanup
Thank You

Thank you to Christine, Mike, Jose, and everyone else who came outside, brought equipment, moved debris, held lights, or simply helped wherever they could.

This is what community looks like.

More From That Night

Another view of the tree across the truck and the ongoing cleanup

Share your own thank-yous in the neighborhood forum →