The Dan & Whits general store has been an icon in Norwich, Vermont for nearly a century. But facing a recent labor shortage, the store was in danger of closing. That's when something unexpected came for Dan Fraiser, owner of the store. People from across the community—a finance director, a doctor, a professor of psychology, a second grade teacher—all stepped in to work at the store and keep it alive. It is "because Dan & Whits is the heartbeat of this community," remarked one lady. As if this weren't enough, many of the workers donated a portion of their wages to his favorite charities. Fraiser couldn't hold back his tears. "The fact that the community stepped up," he said. "You know, sometimes it takes a crisis, if you will, to appreciate what you have."