Could YOU Be a Community Hero?
Five quick questions. Find out where you stand.
Do you know if any of your neighbors are elderly, disabled, or living alone?
- Yes, I check in on them regularly — That's exactly what the volunteers in Willoughby did — Norburt Sanek, a lawn care professional who has lived in the north end of Willoughby for 20 years, organized neighbors who reached out because they noticed a community member in need.
- I know, but I haven't reached out — Awareness is the first step. Melanie Parker, a special education teacher who volunteered for Beverly, said she decided to act because she imagined herself in the same situation.
- Not really sure — You're not alone — but Beverly Thomas's story shows how isolation can quietly become a crisis. A court summons over yard maintenance was the first sign her neighbors learned something was wrong.
Have you ever taken time off work or changed plans to help someone outside your family?
- Yes, more than once — David Courtwright drove from Lorain County and took time off work to help a woman he had never met. That kind of commitment is what turned a Facebook post into a full volunteer crew.
- Once or twice — Even a single act matters. The volunteers who showed up for Beverly Thomas each made an individual choice — and together they turned those choices into days of real, physical work.
- Not yet — There's always a first time. Beverly Thomas said she had no idea there were kind people willing to help. Every one of the volunteers who showed up was a first-time stranger to her.
If a neighbor on a fixed income faced a fine or legal summons, what would you most likely do?
- Organize help directly — That's the Norburt Sanek approach. He not only showed up — he organized the entire volunteer effort and committed the group to seeing the project through over several days.
- Share their story on social media — Sharing works. Beverly Thomas's story spread through Northeast Ohio after News5 reported it, which is exactly how David Courtwright, Melanie Parker, and Norburt Sanek found out and took action.
- Donate to their GoFundMe — A GoFundMe was set up to help cover services not being donated for Beverly. Financial support and hands-on help both matter — the Willoughby volunteers combined both.
- Not sure what I could do — The volunteers in Willoughby started with the same uncertainty — but Norburt Sanek said it simply: 'This is what you do, look out for neighbors.'
What most motivates you to help strangers?
- Faith or upbringing — Norburt Sanek said he came from a Catholic family and that helping neighbors is simply how he was raised. For him, showing up for Beverly Thomas wasn't a decision — it was a reflex.
- Empathy — I imagine myself in their shoes — Melanie Parker put it directly: 'I decided that if I was in the same situation, I would want someone to help me too, so here I am.' Empathy moved her from feeling to action.
- A sense that someone has to do something — David Courtwright drove across Northeast Ohio because he felt that pull. 'I have to do something to help out, to make a difference,' he said. Sometimes urgency is its own motivator.
- I haven't had a strong push yet — Beverly Thomas's story became that push for dozens of strangers in Northeast Ohio. You may not have found your moment — but stories like hers show it often arrives unexpectedly.
When you start a volunteer or helping project, do you see it through to the end?
- Yes, I commit fully — The Willoughby volunteers made exactly this commitment — Norburt Sanek said the group planned to work over several days until the job was done, not just for one afternoon.
- I do what I can and others finish — Collective effort made Beverly's cleanup possible. Not every volunteer could give multiple days — but each person's contribution added up to something Beverly called deeply moving.
- It depends on the situation — Consistency is what transforms a good deed into real community infrastructure. The Willoughby crew committed to seeing the full project through — that follow-through is what kept Beverly out of legal jeopardy.
That quiz captures exactly the spirit the volunteers brought to Beverly Thomas's yard in Willoughby. Beverly spent decades as a nurse — a career defined by showing up for strangers in their hardest moments. But arthritis and tremors have made it impossible for her to maintain her own property. On a fixed income, she couldn't afford the legal fight or the landscaping bills that followed her city summons.
When News5 told her story, Northeast Ohio didn't wait for someone else to act. Volunteers contacted the station directly, asking how they could help. Norburt Sanek, a lawn care professional and 20-year north Willoughby resident, stepped up to organize them — turning individual impulses into a coordinated effort that stretched across several days of real work.
I came from a Catholic family. This is how I was brought up, this is what you do, look out for neighborsNorburt Sanek, Lawn care professional
David Courtwright made the drive from Lorain County — not a quick trip — and took time off work to be there. For him, it wasn't complicated. He saw someone who needed help and felt a pull he couldn't ignore. Melanie Parker, a special education teacher, arrived with the same straightforward reasoning: she pictured herself in Beverly's shoes and decided that was reason enough.
When Beverly stepped outside to see the crew working on her yard, she was overcome. She had spent a career caring for people who needed her. Now the care was flowing back — from complete strangers who knew her only from a news story.
I didn't know there were kind people out there willing to help like this. I'm touchedBeverly Thomas, 79-year-old retired nurse
How Beverly's Story Unfolded
- Earlier this month — Court summons issued
- Initial report — News5 tells Beverly's story
- Northeast Ohio responds — Volunteers reach out to News5
- Thursday — Volunteer work begins
- Ongoing — Multi-day project continues
What This Story Is Really About
Beverly was cited for neglecting her property out of laziness or indifference.
Verdict: false
Beverly Thomas said arthritis and tremors physically prevent her from doing yard work. She spent her career as a nurse caring for others — her inability to maintain her property is a direct result of her age and health conditions.
Beverly could simply pay someone to handle the yard work.
Verdict: false
Beverly said she is on a fixed income and cannot afford landscaping costs or legal bills. That financial reality is precisely why a GoFundMe was set up alongside the volunteer effort.
Community volunteers made a real, lasting difference — not just a symbolic gesture.
Verdict: true
The volunteer crew committed to a multi-day project covering both the front and back yards. Norburt Sanek, who organized the effort, said the group would see it through to completion — not just show up for a day of photos.
The Willoughby volunteers didn't just show up for Beverly Thomas — they showed up for a version of the question this story poses to all of us. When a neighbor's story reaches you, what do you do with that feeling? David Courtwright turned it into a drive across county lines and a day off work. Melanie Parker turned it into a Saturday with a rake. Norburt Sanek turned it into a week-long organizing effort.
Beverly's gratitude was total — and her words landed with a weight that comes from someone who knows, from decades of nursing, exactly what it means to be on the receiving end of care.
I hope God blesses them for giving of their time to help somebody who can't do it anymore. Thank you one and allBeverly Thomas, 79-year-old retired nurse
How to Help a Neighbor Like Beverly
- Notice who needs help — Look for signs that an elderly or disabled neighbor may be struggling — overgrown yards, uncollected mail, or a lack of visitors. Awareness is the starting point every volunteer in Willoughby shared.
- Make contact before assuming — Knock on the door or leave a note. Beverly Thomas said she had no idea there were kind people willing to help. Sometimes the barrier is simply that no one has reached out.
- Organize, don't just show up — Norburt Sanek's key contribution wasn't just labor — it was coordination. Gathering volunteers, setting a schedule, and committing to finish the job transformed individual goodwill into lasting change.
- Combine donations with hands-on help — The Willoughby effort paired volunteer labor with a GoFundMe for services that couldn't be donated. Both matter — not every neighbor needs the same kind of support.
- Commit to follow through — The Willoughby crew planned work over several days, not just one afternoon. Real help often means more than a single visit — and the difference between starting and finishing is the difference that counts.
Support Beverly Thomas
- GoFundMe Campaign: A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover services for Beverly Thomas that are not being donated by volunteers. Every contribution helps a 79-year-old retired nurse who spent her career caring for others.
- Share Her Story: The volunteers who showed up for Beverly found her through a News5 report. Sharing stories like this is how communities find the people who need them — and the people willing to help.