"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." Maya Angelou
GREENSBORO, N.C.-- It's been said that the worst of times can bring out the best in all of us.
That's what's happening across Greensboro, especially the eastern part of the city this week.
Sunday, April 15 was life changing for people who lived in the path of a 30+ mile tornado. People who live within miles of WFMY News 2 were the most impacted by the storm.
People from around the city and county have put aside their own personal to-do lists and are doing whatever they can to help. People like Reginald Mahatha.
"I do know it's devastation, but yet, I see a lot of strength," he explains.
Mahatha has been spending the days after the storm posting up in his yard with his family, handing out water and food. He has two houses near Peeler Elementary, an area that was hardest hit. He says they have some cleanup to do, but the damage isn't as bad as the rest of the neighborhood.
"I just think it's important in times of a crisis," he says. "People moving together, not moving apart. And you don't let people isolate. You try to be there for each other."
Be there for each other. That's the mantra through the entire neighborhood. Students and teachers at Peeler won't be able to go back to their school this year due to all the damage. But instead of wallowing, the community is taking action.
Melisa Seliga is a 4th and 5th grade teacher at the school. She and several other volunteers were walking around the area Monday and realized a lot of older folks lived by the school who couldn't necessarily get out to a shelter to get resources. She thought about having a cook out by the school, to make some food to bring to the neighborhood.
"I posted something on Facebook and it just snowballed from there," Seliga explains.
Various churches, volunteer groups even teachers and students from other schools came out to pack care packages and make food to bring out to the neighbors.
"It's been hard all day not to show emotion and to get emotional over it because just to see the love everybody is showing us," she tells.
Seliga says she hasn't been able to see inside the school, but destruction outside is just heartbreaking. There's a relocation plan in place for the more than 200 students at Peeler Elementary, who will soon move to nearby Bluford Elementary for the rest of the school year.
"I'm grateful none of the kids were in class," says Ronnette Hargraves, who has a son in second grade at Peeler. "It was horrible enough as it is, but it could have been worse."
Hargraves says it's been tough trying to explain to her son he doesn't fully get he can't go back to his school and that all the excitement around his neighborhood can't be cleaned away very easily. But she's grateful of the outpouring of love and support from all over the Triad.
"I'm just grateful to be alive," Hargraves says. "I got up that morning praying and praising God. Because of that, I think that's why I'm still here."