One Saturday in October, Robyn Gurney mentioned to a family friend that she was thinking of replacing her roof. Two days later, shingle samples were at her front door. The following Monday, Oct. 24, a crew of about 15 friends, who asked to remain unnamed, had replaced the roof, reshingled a section of the dormer, replaced the trim, raked the yard, and loaded a dumpster with debris. For the Gurney family, the newly shingled roof is another surprising act of generosity from a community that continues to redefine neighborly love.
“This small community is so giving,” Mrs. Gurney said. “I just feel like it needs to be acknowledged, that there is this outpouring of kindness and good. It is extremely comforting to know that people are looking out for the boys and I.”
Robyn’s husband, Luke Gurney, died in a tragic fishing accident in June of this year, and since then, the Gurneys have been inundated with offers of help. People have taken their two boys, Sam and Jake, fishing, and shuffled them to and from school. A group took Luke’s boat out of the water, cleaned it, and stored it, so Robyn didn’t have to handle it. Someone re-piped the wood stove and cleaned the chimney in their house. People have been dropping off recipes and cooking for them, since Luke was the cook in the family. Two months ago, friends of the family also printed a book of stories about Luke, which they gave to Sam and Jake as a way to remember their father. Mrs. Gurney reads them a story every night.
“Some of Luke’s hockey buddies are helping to set up a scholarship in Luke’s name at the high school, and other friends have set up a college fund for the boys,” Mrs. Gurney said. “Teachers at school have been giving the boys extra time, and coaches have been spending extra time with them, supporting them. People doing things for them means the world to me.”
Mrs. Gurney describes herself as someone who isn’t comfortable asking for help often. At times, she has been overwhelmed with the sheer volume and generosity of offers.
“People talk about random acts of kindness. These are deliberate acts of kindness. To me, it’s unbelievable how kind and generous people have been. And it has not stopped. You would imagine after a tragedy the outpouring of support happens at first and then it withers away. But it hasn’t.”
Mrs. Gurney will be thanking the community for its continued help and support at a gathering at the Loft, which Mr. Gurney won at an auction earlier this year, on Nov. 18. Members of the community are welcome to come after 8 pm.