Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

“When we walk our way and encounter a man who comes towards us, walking his way, we know our way only and not his; for his comes to life for us only in the encounter.” Martin Buber, I and Thou

There is a fragility to the connection that binds communities together. This is no different whether a village, a suburban town, an apartment complex, or a city block. An unexpected crisis, say a fire or a medical emergency, can place unbearable strain on relationships, sometimes to the breaking point. Friends moving or dying are also a source of stress and loss. There are emotional ties, complex and often unrecognized, that create an abiding presence of others in our lives. Though we seldom consciously acknowledge it, we become ourselves through relational bonds― family, friends, educators― that act upon us, shaping our personalities and identity, self-perception, values, our understanding of the world, and our societal environment. As the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber observes, we are simultaneously acting on and acted upon.

When a stranger, an outsider to our community, is found to be in need, how should we respond? What obligations do we owe them? How should their needs influence our thinking and behavior towards our community?     

John Anderson, a writer for The Wellsville Sun, raises these questions in his 26 December column. He found the answers in Trisha and Rodney Jopson, Trisha’s son Travis Ryan, and the communities of Angelica, Wellsville, and  Belmont, New York.

On Christmas Eve, a soldier, Jaylen, left Fort Drum, an Army base outside of Watertown, New York, where he is stationed. Intent on surprising his family for Christmas, he signed out at midnight to begin the nine-hour drive home to Detroit, Michigan. Jaylen, who has been in the service for a year, was driving a newly purchased car, his first. As Anderson writes:

“The GPS takes you from 390 to Interstate 86. However, the maps application on his phone found a slightly faster route, and had him get off 390 in Mount Morris where he would pick up I-86 in Angelica. Anyone who has traveled those back roads — one minute asphalt, another gravel and even dirt— it can be difficult to navigate….” And on this night, the road conditions were a mix of snow and ice.

At approximately 5:47 a.m. Jaylen’s car went off County Road 15 in Allen. The car rolled over, trapping him in the vehicle. The Angelica Fire and Rescue responded, as did Medical Transport Service (MTS). Jaylen was taken to the Jones Memorial Hospital.

“That actually happens a lot, most of those accidents that we have on that stretch of County Road 15 are people from out of the area and their GPS sends them that way,’ Angelica Fire and Rescue Chief Joshua Ford said. ‘That is one of the worst roads to drive, especially at night, in the winter, and if you are unfamiliar with it.”

The Angelica Fire and Rescue posted their report, and The Wellsville Sun picked up the story. Then, the community responded. Trisha Jopson, a first responder, and her son went to the hospital. Jaylen was released. They drove him to Belmont to retrieve his gear at For Kids Auto Repair & Towing. Michelle Miller, whose son is on active duty, purchased new luggage for him. She refused reimbursement. People stepped forward offering him money for transportation and other needs, which Jaylen declined, though his car was totaled. The employees “…told him to take his belongings and make his flight. After the holidays are over, they can sort out the bill (for towing).”

There is, of course, more to Anderson’s story. A young soldier, a stranger in Allegany County, New York, had a serious accident that, fortunately, didn’t injure him. First Responders of an all-volunteer service stepped forward. The MTS team arrived on the scene. A doctor, nurses, and a technical team at Jones Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital, provided medical aid. The employees at For Kids, who were having their Christmas party with family and friends, stopped to assist Jaylen in removing his gear from the car, offered to have him join their party, and postponed payment for the tow. Strangers purchased new luggage and offered him financial assistance. Jaylen is a volunteer, serving his country by enlisting in the Army.

I read Anderson’s story through my knowledge of the places mentioned. My grandfather, Earl Babcock, was a volunteer with the Richburg, New York, Fire Department, despite his age. There was also the memory of the unsung heroes, the first responders of the Oakland First Aid Squad in New Jersey, a volunteer service. Connie Monks, Harold Wilke, Marie Schaffer, Bob Shipley, Leonard Baum, Barney Buwalda, Lois Plumb, Ruth Terwilliger, Walt Crist, John and Vivian Walker, and my father, to name but a few. This was my extended family. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Oakland Fire Department. I would be negligent if I did not mention the spouses and children of the volunteers’ families who sacrificed their time with their loved ones, watching them go off to serve their communities in a time of crisis. And there are times when the volunteer doesn’t return home. Instead, there is a knock at the door. A police officer is on the front porch with the news no one wants to hear. In my father’s case, I was home, listening to the police radio. I will never forget the love and kindness Connie Monks showed me that day and in the years that followed.

Volunteers, Trisha Jopson stated, neither seek recognition nor want to be singled out. Their work is always a team effort. They are simply good Samaritans.    

Volunteerism is the heartbeat of a community, regardless of its size. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to responding. The food banks remain open after the holidays. Mentoring children, teaching, animal rescue and care, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Jewish Family Services, Catholic Charities, and other denominational groups, The Lions Club, Meals on Wheels, conservation, farm work (WWOOF), assisting hospital chaplains, Red Cross, healthcare volunteer work, and coaching sports. We can support these and other organizations either by contributing our time or through financial donations.

In Jaylen’s case, I am struck by a remark Allegany County Court Judge Terrance M. Parker made. Judge Parker, who, as Anderson reports, “serves on every bench including the state supreme court, is also a volunteer.” Judge Parker said, “We’ve got to get this soldier home!”

Twelve hours after the accident, Trisha and Rodney, a retired, disabled veteran) drove him from Belfast to Rochester for his flight.

Jaylen made it home to Detroit for Christmas.

Friends bound by community responded to the needs of a stranger in their midst.

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Image: The Good Samaritan

Artist: David Teniers the Younger (Flemish, Antwerp 1610–1690 Brussels)

Credit Line:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

European Paintings

Marquand Collection, Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1889

This item is openly available as part of an Open Artstor collection.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.18430143

Friends, Strangers and a Chance Encounter

© 2025 Charles van Heck