EUCLID, Ohio – It’s a story about faith in tragedy.
Tuesday’s storms knocked out power to at least 11,000 First Energy customers in Euclid.
Since there was no electricity, people had to either throw away their perishable food or come up with creative ways to prepare it.
This is where Damien Sharpe and his wife Tiffany came into play.
“We knew a lot of people probably had food that needed to be thawed or defrosted. I initially offered to cook the food for them if they wanted to bring it over and not throw it away,” Damien said.
This idea then developed into an even bigger helping hand.
Damien said he posted on social media that he wanted to host a barbecue, and local food banks and neighbors stepped in to help, donating money to purchase food.
“There’s so much negativity out here: people arguing about elections, people arguing about trivial things, and we all have to get along. I have grandchildren and I want the best for them,” Damien added.
Forty pounds of chicken and 200 hot dogs later, Damien said, they were able to feed several hundred people over the course of two days.
“I support him a lot in everything he does because ever since I’ve known him, he’s always wanted to help people,” Tiffany said.
Although Damien and Tiffany were exhausted on Sunday, they still whipped up delicious dishes and served them to anyone who came by and wanted a plate.
The Sunday portions consisted of vegetables and cornbread.
Damien explained that his purpose in life is to help those in need. He spends his time helping seniors and said he wants to expand the circle of people he can help.
“It feels great. My wife is with me. She supports me. She helps me. I want to do so much and when you want to do a lot, you need someone to support you. She supports me and stands by me. She helps me in everything I do when it comes to giving back to the community. That’s what I love to do,” Damien explained.
Damien is already working on the next community event and plans to organize it this month.
Afterwards, Damien wants to host a 24-hour barbecue at Sims Park on Labor Day.
“We’re trying to put this together for the first responders, police officers, teachers, people like that. I’ve hosted some long barbecues, but none that lasted 24 hours,” Damien said.
Damien hopes his story of kindness will be passed on.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life and I’ll continue to do it. Hopefully I can inspire someone else to do the same,” he said.
Tiffany encourages everyone to take a break from social media and get to know their neighbors. Both she and Damien said it has been a true gift to meet new people through helping out.
Monetary donations can be sent via Zelle to Damien’s phone number: 216-346-5119.
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