Seven weeks after Hurricane Ida devastated the region, volunteers remain the backbone of its recovery efforts, writes Ellie Rushing for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Local volunteers have pitched in throughout Chester County, even stretching into Montgomery County’s tiny Mont Clare, across the river from Phoenixville.

Jesse Fischer, a Phoenixville resident, saw the devastation left in Ida’s wake and immediately wanted to help. She started a Facebook group to help coordinate donations and clean-up efforts.

The group exploded, and soon there were 1,600 members ready to assist their neighbors in clearing homes of debris and waterlogged furniture.

Fischer coordinated multiple outreaches: She sent volunteers with food door to door, used donated funds to purchase necessities to be distributed to affected residents, and even organized Phoenixville neighbors in an effort to gather and launder clothing soiled by floodwaters.

Phoenixville Mayor Pete Urscheler also joined the recovery efforts, making personal visits to offer help.

Meanwhile, the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation provided a $300,000 grant to Open Hearth, a local housing nonprofit, to cut checks directly to impacted residents.

“A bridge should not stop people from getting resources,” said Urscheler.

Read more about the recovery efforts in The Philadelphia Inquirer.