Social media magnifies one family’s generosity

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Tverberg | A 6.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the town of Amatrice, Italy Aug. 24, 2016, reduced numerous buildings to piles of rubble, many of which were built in the 16th century, and left approximately 2,500 residents homeless. Teams of rescue and construction workers, aided by volunteer supporters, continue to help displaced residents recover from the aftermath. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Tverberg - 160827-A-ED313-007)  

VICENZA, ITALY

09.01.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy – Late in the evening of Aug. 24, a man began to receive multiple messages from loved ones. The messages asked if he is all right. Unaware of what had happen earlier in the day, the man turned to social media to find answers. This is what he found:

In central Italy a 6.2 magnitude earthquake reduced numerous buildings to piles of rubble, many of which were hundreds of years old, and left approximately 2,500 residents homeless. Tremors from the quake could be felt from Bologna to Naples. Towns most affected were those in the Umbria, Lazio and Marche regions.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Tverberg, a command information chief with U.S. Army Africa, quickly gathered his family to share the devastating news.

At that moment, the Tverberg family agreed they had to do something and again turned to social media.

The family posted a message detailing their intent to donate to survivors in Amatrice, one of the towns most affected by the earthquake. Much to their surprise, they began receiving comments from others in their area requesting to donate as well.

The next morning, the Tverberg family began collecting donations, loading each item into their personal minivan.

“Even without the 2nd and 3rd row seats, it was apparent we were not going to fit it all,” said Tverberg, a native of Young America, Minn. “So, I rented a moving truck.”

Donations, which filled more than half of the moving truck, came from various organizations and individuals within the Vicenza Military Community who shared a similar desire to support those affected.

“What began as a trip to take water there turned into a huge truck, packed with goods and relief for Italy. We are not with affiliates or sponsored, just a family reaching out to other families,” said Tverberg.

Tverberg and his wife, Shawna, a native of Bynum, Texas, spent the rest of the day collecting and packing the donations they planned to deliver the following morning.

“It took six hours,” Tverberg said. “I had to maneuver that big truck through small mountain roads, boulders as big as the truck blocking the road, and various police check points.”

Tverberg said he and his wife were stopped by local law enforcement officers at the base of the hill Amatrice sits upon and asked to wait for an escort. Approximately 45 minutes later, the Tverbergs were notified the bridge connecting the road they were on to the town had collapsed.

“To think, we could have been on that bridge,” Tverberg said.

Authorities instructed the Tverbergs to backtrack their route approximately 10 kilometers to link up with a small encampment of volunteer supporters.

Tverberg said once he settled in the encampment he noticed even volunteer supporters needed supplies.

“I opened the truck and handed out personal hygiene products, napkins and paper plates,” said Tverberg. Afterward, he and his wife spent the night swapping stories with the other supporters.

On the morning of Aug. 27, Tverberg said they had reached their destination, which was more than they had anticipated.

“There were police and Red Cross lining both sides of the street,” Tverberg said as he was escorted through the town.

A member of the Italian Red Cross guided the Tverbergs to a collection point where they could unload the truckload of donations to be cataloged. The Tverbergs remained at the collection site to help load supplies, to be dispersed among affected towns in the area, before returning home.

“It was humbling to see the devastating power the earth has and to hear the stories,” said Tverberg. One of the stories in particular Tverberg said was about a couple that was found holding each other beneath the rubble.

“The hardest part was walking by a line of hearses waiting to transport the deceased.” He said.

As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, Tverberg said he has been stationed all throughout the globe and has made a point of helping others wherever he goes.

“In 2013, we raised donations as a result of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, and in 2014 my family donated to survivors of the Sewol ferry sinking in South Korea,” Tverberg said.

The Tverbergs said they donated to the Amatrice survivors because they want to instill good values and the belief of, “give when you can,” to their children.

• Date Taken: 09.01.2016
• Date Posted: 09.01.2016 12:23
• Story ID: 208700
• Location: VICENZA, IT
• Hometown: BYNUM, TX, US
• Hometown: YOUNG AMERICA, MN, US