The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Communitywide help
First responders get a lot of practice at facing traumatic situations, but despite developing methods of coping, everyone needs help sometimes, especially after a event like the one in May.
“First responders are always the first on the scene and they are often on the front lines of trauma,” Ostrowski said.
As Pottstown’s first responders came to grips with the scope of the emergency, Fire Chief Frank Hand, Goodwill Fire Company Chief Kevin Yerger and Police Chief Michael Markovich knew their first responders might need help themselves.
“Within the first two hours, we started doing debriefings with the firefighters and the EMTS as they took breaks and rotated out. It was just so big, during the first hour we didn’t realize how big,” Ostroski said. “We knew we needed to do more, which is why we called in the MCIS (Montgomery County Incident Stress Management team).”
The community helped immediately. Local churches and neighbors brought water and food to the emergency Red Cross shelter set up in the gym at Pottstown High School, just a block away from the explosion.
“People brought food, Wawa and McDonald’s sent food, there was just an amazing amount of support,” Ostrowski said.
“Sometimes, just a cup of coffee and a slice of pizza at two in the morning can keep you going. I went home and got about two hours sleep,” and by the next morning, “we were working with the families, the school district and the police,” Ostrowski recalled.
Despite the enormity of what had just happened, little things can make a difference. Enduring incalculable loss, the White family nevertheless knew their two dogs had survived the blast, Ostrowski said.
“So we got to work finding them. They had been treated and were being cared for in a shelter. had lost all their children and an important adult and they wanted to know their dogs were OK,” Ostrowski said. “Sometimes, it’s the small things which can start to help us heal.”
Scars remain; wounds reopen
For those living in and near the neighborhood, scars remain and wounds are reopened by seeing the site largely as it was moments after the blast. Investigators continue to sift through the rubble looking for clues to determe a cause. The fact that an official cause has yet to be determined and may be months away can be a detriment to healing and finding closure said Ostrowski.
“It’s like re-opening wound,” Ostrowski said.
Those wounds may be invisible, but they leave signs, said Kelly Leibold, a counselor at Pottstown High School who has counseled several students affected by the trauma of the disaster, adding that it is not just the students who suffer, but also their teachers.
“Our teachers were devastated,” said Leibold.
Indeed, after the Nov. 5 memorial service, several teachers who attended were openly weeping at the loss.
“We really care so much for our students in Pottstown,” Leibold said.
That care has extended to looking for signs of trauma among the affected student body, and getting them help as quickly as possible. Federal COVID aid helped pay for Pottstown schools to hire more counselors, a fortuitous bit of timing given that in Pottstown, getting in-person mental health services can be a long wait, Leibold said.
When students experience trauma, “their grades can be lower, they can have difficulty paying attention in class, their parents tell me the student is moody, or cries easily,” Leibold said. “A lot of people cannot grasp what these kids have been through.”
Sometimes the kids can’t grasp it either.
“After a while kids may start asking themselves, ‘Why can’t I get over this?’ but it’s not that simple,” Leibold explained.
One student she has spoken with lives near the explosion site and was there in the aftermath.
“He was out there. He saw the bodies. That is not something you get over. You may not get over it ever and seeing that site every day on the way to and from school can bring it all back,” Leibold said.
Leibold said counselors in Pottstown’s schools know the signs of trauma and they know that often school with its reliable structure and even its reliable meals can provide students with something they can count on to counteract the chaos they may face at home.
But when kids are not in school, the trained professionals in the district may not see all the symptoms. That situation manifested in the fact that the explosion occurred just days before the end of the school year, Ostrowski observed.
Holidays can exacerbate trauma
The coming holidays will present a similar challenge. Not only will students be away from school and its supports, those who may have lost a home in the explosion or be living with relatives may feel further displaced during holiday events in which home plays such a central role.
“You might be living with your aunt and cousin and they may have different traditions than you do. That is only going to make things harder because the holidays come with so many expectations,” Leibold said.
Hopefully, thanks to our readers, those expectations can include a little help from Operation Holiday. This year’s Operation Holiday giving program will be extended to offer some support to eight families displaced by the explosion.
The Mercury has refrained from contacting the White family so as not to intrude on their grieving, but as the holidays approach, we want to help in the best way we know how by leveraging our reach in this town that never fails to step up when the need arises.
Operation Holiday steps up
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.
Now in its 32nd year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by Reading Eagle, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
More than $122,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 379 children and cash donations to 13 food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 22 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 144 families with 375 children for gifts and food and an additional 34 families for food. The eight families affected most by the explosion are an addition to those numbers.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by staff of MediaNews Group who volunteer their time.
Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.
Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.
Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.
How to donate
Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork. org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.
Contributions can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.
The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.