CHESAPEAKE — When the call went out for help, it took only two days for a response

As Dr. Beth Lemaster sees it, that shows the compassion of the neighbors she cares for.

Lemaster is a staff chiropractor at American Health Center of Chesapeake and the center heard about a family who needed help for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

“They’re a family with 11 members and are having a hard time with the economy,” Lemaster said.

So the center got specific and asked the family just what food items they needed. Then a poster went up in the lobby of the center listing all that the family needed and in two days the patients of the center, clients of the gym and community members who heard about the food drive signed up for all 30 items. They will bring the food to the center before the holiday and center staff will get it to the family.

This kind of drive is part of the philosophy of American Health that focuses on a charitable project each month, Lemaster said.

“We strive to be a center to the local community,” she said.

For December American Health is collecting supplies for women and children who are living at a shelter in Huntington. Already a table is covered with toiletries and paper products. In fact, one area woman alone brought in boxes of supplies.

“The community has been fantastic,” Lemaster said.