A resident, speaking during the public comment period of an Amherst County meeting, urged fellow citizens to value mutual aid and thanked volunteers who helped put on this year’s county fair.

The resident opened with a question: "What defines a community? Is it the roads and houses in a neighborhood? Is it the people in those houses? Sure. But there's so much more," and described community as collective effort using a barn-raising image. "Community is when you come together to raise a barn for no reason other than your neighbor needs it," the commenter said.

The speaker framed volunteer-run events such as the county fair as contemporary expressions of that spirit, saying fairs are organized "not for themselves, but for the people who are home" and that participation means "your burdens will be divided and your joys multiply." The resident closed by offering "a huge thank you to all of those who participated in this year's fair in any capacity," and said organizers and attendees helped make the event memorable.

The remarks were delivered as public comment; no formal action or vote followed on the topic during the meeting.