BUFFALO, N.Y. — The non-profit organization "8 Days of Hope" is on the ground helping Western New Yorkers clean up snow from last week's storm.
2 On Your Side spoke to their rapid response director and he says, they've gotten an overwhelming number of calls from neighbors asking for help, especially when it comes to their roofs.
"We have snow shovels and we also have roof rakes that were able to grab the snow and also some of the icicles and ice that's accumulated on top of the house for about a foot or two or maybe even three up on top of the house and pull that off of the house," Dustin Sullivan, 8 Days of Hope Rapid Response Director said. "What that causes is if there were rain to happen anytime soon, that could potentially build up the standing water. Then, of course, the weight of the roof would make a huge impact. So we're trying to relieve some stress from the roofs."
He also says they had to stop taking requests on Saturday with the focus on heavy-hit areas like Hamburg, West Seneca, and Cheektowaga.
Luckily, outreach from the community has been great.
Volunteers from Buffalo, Ohio, and Mississippi are helping out and they're averaging about 17 to 18 volunteers per day but could use more help.
"There's a lot of desperation in the people's voices when we make that initial call and tell them that we are possibly going to help them and then once we talk to them on the phone, it gives them a sense of hope and maybe even excitement that help is on the way," Dustin Sullivan said. " A lot of people might not be able to afford to have their driveways cleared with a plow or skid steer and so just to have that hope and people's excitement it's just amazing."
The group will be in the area until Tuesday night to help neighbors clean up snow.