Bobster, I just saw your post.
Yeah, I went through school with Chris. He was a year older than me, but we were in the same class because of split classes in the school and we also in cub scouts together.
There are several family members, and really good friends who were also affected by this. When you have a couple of checks bounce, paying those mortgages and bills is a lot harder when you're several thousand dollars farther in the hole because you're not getting paid.
There have been an outpouring of donations to the miners from people and businesses in the county.
I don't want to single out anyone because I don't want to take away from what any one does to help another. But I wanted to applaud what Joyce Chang has done. She is co-owner of the Panda Garden. It is a small Chinese restaurant that has been here for probably close to 20 years now.
She and her husband came from China and settled here and started their business. They have been good people and have bent over backwards trying to raise money to help and I respect them for what they have done. They have sold thousands of dollars worth of meals and donated all the money to the "miners fund."
She has even taken sponsors and been doing mile walks and marathons trying to raise money and help.
Another cable tv company in the area has waived this months tv, internet, and phone bill for affected miners.
While it wasn't a union mine, the UMWA has sent people in support.
With school starting this week, lots of people have given new school clothes and shoes to others.
It's truly a blessed thing when you reach out and try to do the right thing to help out your neighbors and family and friends.
And I don't just mean the money part of it. It's during the darker times when you really know who's got your back.