Beth Montgomery was sitting inside the Pizza Pan restaurant in Akron’s Ellet neighborhood when strangers arrived carrying bags of clothes and other items. She wiped tears from her eyes, hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Montgomery used to have a cozy apartment. A place that was home to her and her cat, Kamyr. A room that held her grandparents’ antique bedroom suite. But that was before a plane crashed into the building Tuesday — destroying what she had gathered over her 61 years.
“My whole life was in that apartment,” she said, catching her breath.
On Wednesday, she watched as kind souls brought replacements for the things that she and others lost, save her sweet pet.
Within three hours after the crash, word went out on social media, particularly Facebook, that there were folks in need. And, like we do so well in Akron, people were answering the call.
Thank God for Tuesday
It’s the one day of the week that Montgomery has a standing date with her son, Jon Kirkpatrick, for beer and wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on East Exchange Street in downtown Akron.
After getting off work at 2 p.m. from Acro Tool & Die, Montgomery went to the restaurant. Less than an hour later, a plane slammed into her apartment, destroying all four units.
Her landlord, Terry Ellis, who also happens to be her boss, called to give her the news.
“Beth, where are you?” she remembers him asking. “Thank God you are OK. A plane just crashed into the apartment.”
Montgomery said her upstairs neighbor had just left the building before the crash to go to the store and another neighbor left to walk her dog. Her downstairs neighbor moved out two weeks ago.
A place to stay
Montgomery’s friend Nancy Myers came to her aid — insisting that she come live with her in Hartville until she had a place of her own.
As might be expected, Montgomery remained stunned and somber while gathering her thoughts Wednesday.
Despite her friend’s loss, Myers said she and Montgomery want to relay their condolences to those who lost loved ones in the crash.
Where to donate
Keri Stevens, owner of Pizza Pan in Ellet, is known for her generosity. It’s not uncommon for her to walk near her shop and offer a pizza to a homeless person begging for pocket change. So it’s not a surprise that she agreed to offer her business as a drop-off center for those wishing to donate to the people who have been displaced.
Tuesday evening, just hours after the accident, she helped set up a Facebook page “Helping families displaced by #AkronPlaneCrash.”
And on her own Facebook page, she shared this message:
“To the wonderful community of Ellet. It’s time to rally together and help these families that have just lost everything in the plane crash today. There is a group forming now to raise money and clothing … for these poor people.”
She and others are also setting up a fund at U.S. Bank. To donate directly, contributions can be taken to Pizza Pan, 594 Canton Road, Akron.
Beacon Journal staff writer Marilyn Miller contributed to this report. Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com. Find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kim.honemcmahan1.