Presidential honor for East Haven man

East Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - Tropical Storm Irene really did a number on the shoreline of Connecticut this past summer and left many people in a great state of need, but what one local man did in the grueling days that followed has earned him presidential honors.

A part of the shoreline he had known, a playground that helped define his childhood, had changed in an instant. However, as East Haven's Cosey Beach lay in ruins, 27-year-old Shawn Hopkinson, unemployed at the time, took it upon himself to gather water. That quickly grew to include food, money and supplies, which were given to those hit hardest by Tropical Storm Irene.

"I saw looters in the water rip metal off the houses, like scrappers," said Hopkinson Wednesday afternoon. "I didn't want looting to be the legacy of the storm, or the storm be remembered for all the bad things that happened."

as the leader of a small team he created, dubbed "People Helping People," Hopkinson raised thousands of dollars and helped more than a dozen families. He just learned that dedication earned him the President's Volunteer Service Award.

"It doesn't seem like I did anything special to deserve it," Hopkinson said. "I did something to help people I felt like I did the right thing."

There are obvious signs that Cosey Beach is being rebuilt. Coincidentally enough, his work on the beach has inspired him to build his career, as a contractor.

"This experience actually gave me the courage to start my own business because I never really had the faith in myself and didn't think I could do it," said Hopkinson, "until I set out to do this with water, to help some people. And when I saw the scale that I helped everyone on, that's when I realized I could do anything I set my mind to."

Hopkinson says Mayor Maturo will present the award to him at Town Hall in about two weeks.