My mother lived in the same house until she married. My grandmother lived there her entire life. It was also the house my great-grandparents moved into as a young couple with little children. The neighbors were multiple generations of the same families. It was a community. At times they had their differences but they were always there for each other in times of crises. Unfortunately it's a common story that no longer exists.

This is the most difficult column I've ever had to write. Both for the subject matter and also because it happened in my community. Little Karla Campos, 6, a kindergartner at Mountain View Elementary, was struck down violently by a car as she was stepping off the school bus, right in front of her mother's eyes. Her Christmas presents were newly wrapped under the tree. It's impossible to express the sorrow of an entire community over this loss, so I won't try. Instead I will write about actions.

The resounding phrase was, "I don't know what to do but I feel I must do something." And something they did. Lots of "somethings."

The Mountain View PTA sent out an e-mail asking for gift-card donations for the Campos family and the East Cobb County PTA helped to get word out to the extended community. The non-profit Cobb Schools Foundation started a memorial fund to help with hospital and related expenses. This was heavily promoted by Neal Boortz on his radio program. The community donations poured in. The Mountain View Education Foundation also made a large monetary gift.

A wonderful group of school families went to the Campos home to help clean up after the family and friend visitations. Afterwards, an online meal calendar was set up to help the family for the weeks that followed. Many of us delivered meals and sent in gift cards. But there was a special group of volunteers in our community who went above and beyond and arranged for things that a family in grief just simply can't handle when they are so devastated by grief they can barely breathe. All of them have made it abundantly clear they will continue to be there for this family in the months to come.

Local companies often feel the pull of the community too. Home Depot gave a freezer for the family to store donated meals; Smokey Bones donated food after the visitation service; Wal-Mart donated umbrellas for the funeral; and Square 1 Art sent a large bag of items all embossed with Karla's artwork from class.

Sometimes job descriptions disappear during tragedies. School board member David Banks unfortunately lost a young daughter a decade ago. That brought a bond between their families that helped them comfort Karla's parents in a way most of us will fortunately never know. The Banks went to the Campos home, the service, the burial and comforted the Camposes through the tragedy. Area assistant superintendent Cheryl Hungerford was by the family's side every step as well. She contacted Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home, which generously volunteered to cover the funeral expenses. And they worked with the Kennesaw Memorial Park Cemetery, which generously donated a plot and burial services.

Principal Angela Huff also worked with the Campos' to deal with all the arrangements and was by their side in their grief. According to JoAnn McClure, PTA co-President, "She displayed great leadership, strength and compassion for the Campos family and for our Mountain View family during this very difficult time." In addition, the funeral service was packed with school staff and parents, many of whom had never before met little Karla or her family.

There is often talk about today's disappearing community and online isolation. But I've always felt that deep in the human spirit is a need to connect. To be a part of something greater than oneself that modern society can never extinguish. That love of community certainly hasn't disappeared in the greater Mountain View area, and I am proud of my neighbors.

My New Year's wish for the Campos family is some semblance of peace and a knowledge that their community will be there for them during their ongoing times of heartache.

JoEllen Smith is an education activist and freelance writer in east Cobb.