BROWNSBURG — What started as a simple act of kindness has snowballed into a profitable side hustle for local entrepreneurs who are helping their community dig out from the latest winter storm.
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Isaiah Darndreece is visiting his mom in Brownsburg for her 50th birthday celebration, but he's spent some of his visit braving the cold with a shovel in hand, clearing snow from driveways and walkways.
"Yesterday we worked till it was sunup until sundown," Darndreece said.
What began as helping the family quickly expanded into a neighborhood operation.
"My sister needed to get to work, so I was like, 'OK, I'm going to shovel our driveway.' Then I saw our neighbors also needed shoveling... then I was like, 'You know what? Let's just, let's just go around town,'" Darndreece said.
From residential driveways to a church parking lot, Darndreece and his brothers are making extra cash by helping others dig out from the storm.
Their work hasn't gone unnoticed. Dan George was heading to work when he spotted the group and decided to lend a hand.
"They're out here with shovels and they had a lot of work to do and I thought I could just help them out real quick," George said.
The entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond individual efforts. Since the snow stopped Sunday evening, Dunn Deal Enterprises has been operating around the clock to meet demand.
"Not just doing snow shoveling — doing pull outs and tows. I've put in at least 12 hours a day… it's strenuous, but it's a way to feed our families and also serve the community," said Chadwick Dunn, owner of Dunn Deal Enterprises.
The family business includes his daughter, Charley Ward, who works alongside her father in the snow removal operation.
"She works very hard… sometimes she even outworks us," Dunn said.
Ward sees the work as serving a dual purpose in the community.
"It's really about helping people… better than sitting inside. We're helping people, making money," Ward said.
From acts of kindness to profitable enterprises, this storm left plenty of snow behind and plenty of people willing to dig in and help their neighbors while building their own success.
