EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is a report about volunteers who showed up over a one-hour period Wednesday morning to help rebuild the Wengerd farm.

One week after the home of Rudy and Lizzie Wengerd of Pulaski Township was destroyed by fire, a new home about twice the size of the old one is going up on the existing foundation. It should be finished by Christmas, say those involved.

With a roof already on the 30-by-40-foot building, it didn't take long for the Amish community to raise the house for a family of their own. And they had help from an extended community of friends, even in the freezing rain.

"When you first come over the hill, you see the Amish men on the roof, then all of the buggies. It's so unbelievable. I mean, it's just so emotional," said Chris Mangan. She and her husband Pat, came from Deer Creek Golf Course in Hubbard Township to donate Gatorade and coffee to the 150-plus workers. "We thought we'd bring drinks because we figured they needed it with all the people here."

"We have three kids," her husband said. "We can feel for them."

The Wengerds lost five of their nine children in the fire.

Farmer Ron Jenny, 70, of Zelienople, butchered a cow and brought out a large grill and hamburgers, plus large kettles of potato soup and chili.

"This family is very good friends of ours. They shoe my draft horses. They help me. I help them. You don't see any of them in the bread line or the unemployment line. When someone needs help here, they help each other out," he said. "I came up here yesterday to see what I could do."

That seemed to be the refrain from all the "English" at the site. The Amish call non-Amish people English.

"We brought up a little donation from our church and some other things and thought we'd stay and give them a hand," said William Bessell, 70, of New Castle. He was referring to people from Clifton Flats Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in New Castle. He and 66-year-old Bob Warsing of New Castle worked around the yard, picking up pieces of wood and scrap items and throwing them into a bin.

A wide array of donated food was spread out under a tarp for the workers to grab as they took a break.

Donna Maxwell of New Wilmington, a cook at the Shenango Inn personal care home in New Wilmington, got on the phone with her vendors to get donations of food and drink. She was dropping off 200 pints of milk from J L Dairy Sales of Wheatland Wednesday morning.

"My heart wanted me to do something, especially at Christmas time, so I talked to my vendors," she said. "New Castle Produce donated lettuce, tomatoes, bananas and apples to the family. I've got ice cream sandwiches coming from Reinhold's tomorrow. The Shenango Home will also be donating beds and some furniture for their home."

Eight members of Hickory High School's Students for Charity were passing out hot chocolate, coffee, juice, chili and chicken noodle soup to workers. They were amazed by all the people helping the Wengerd family.

"On the way here, I didn't think we'd see so many people helping out, maybe just a couple of families," said David Haynes, 17, of Hermitage. "It makes me look at the world a lot differently. You can actually see the good in people coming out. It's amazing to see the Amish and regular citizens coming together to help out."

Guy Gibbs, 45, an attendance officer at the school, offered soup to the club from his catering service. "I know these folks real well. I buy my produce from (Rudy's) uncle. When I heard, I felt so bad I wanted to do something," he said.

Jim LaCivita of Hubbard Township, who has volunteered his time at the site for the last three days, got choked up when he tried to explain why he came, even though he does not know the family personally.

"I just needed to do this," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.