A snowstorm can bring out the worst in people: The Lord of the Flies-level competition for milk and toilet paper, the neighbor who guards his lawn-chaired parking space like it’s the last stand at the Alamo. But it also brings out the best in people—and Baltimore has been a shining example of that this week.
Nothing says “community” quite like the shared misery of shoveling. The day after the storm, I shouldered my shovel in order to remove the massive hump of snow the municipal plow had dumped at the bottom of my driveway.
With frigid overnight temperatures, it had frozen into a solid glacier. I had given up on the snow shovel and started to attack it with a metal garden spade when a police officer driving by slowed, stopped, and hopped out.
“Need a hand?” he asked. He proceeded to cleave the icy cinderblocks up off the pavement for me. Then a passing guy in a pickup with a plow offered to push the rapidly growing pile of ice chunks off into the curb. We shook hands and everyone went on their way.
At a time when things have been feeling very dark, this brief exchange of common decency with strangers restored my faith in humanity.
At a time when things have been feeling very dark, this brief exchange of common decency with strangers restored my faith in humanity.
And I’m not alone. Our editor in chief, Max Weiss, leapt at the offer when “a guy named Ben” offered on her neighborhood listserv to shovel snow for anyone in need. As agreed via text message, he showed up and after two hours had the car, walkway, and sidewalk cleared.
“I texted him again: What was the charge? Did he take Venmo? PayPal? Zelle?,” she recounts. “He said, no charge. ‘I’m happy to help out neighbors and make sure people can get around safely.’ Going forward, I’m going to aspire to be more like Ben.”
Social media has been blowing up with people sharing similar small acts of goodwill. Like a member of the Hampden Neighbors Facebook page who shared her gratitude to whoever had cleared her sidewalk. “Knowing that I have one less round of shoveling nearly moved me to tears,” she posted.
Millie Powell, manager at the Fells Point restaurant The Wren, shared in her Instagram Stories how neighbors she’d never met before spent an hour helping her dig out her car. “It’s these tiny little moments of human connection and community that I’m holding onto so closely right now,” she posted. “We need each other more than ever.”
“It’s these tiny little moments of human connection and community that I’m holding onto so closely right now. We need each other more than ever.”
Jumping on the good vibes, Winter Storm Fern prompted Mayor Brandon Scott to launch an impromptu pilot program, Baltimore Snow Corps. Operated through 311, the “neighbor-to-neighbor” snow assistance operation connects those who need help shoveling—the elderly and disabled, for example—with able-bodied community members (both youth and adults) willing to help. The city also kept eight garages open for free parking through 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28 to keep emergency routes clear and alleviate snow-inundated parking woes.
It’s bitter out there this winter, and we aren’t just talking about the weather, so it’s heartwarming to know that the charm in Charm City is alive and well in Baltimore communities.
And if you’re reading this Officer Jeff: thanks a million.