Just last week, one charity clothing bank in the region pushed pause on its donation services. This announcement follows the recent catastrophic flooding that experienced late Wednesday night. The flood of water damage from the unexpected storms quickly flooded out half of the charity’s warehouse space. Katie Wilson, the organization’s CEO, said the water came gushing up through the storm sewer drains. This disorganization destroyed stock as well as galley shelving.
The rising water had deposited boxes and bags of clothing all over the warehouse floor. Among the items, clothes for men, were destroyed and most of the clothes was brand new. Wilson expressed her dismay, noting, “Unfortunately it was a section of brand new men’s clothes that got the worst of it, which is always the way – it’s going to be the best things that get ruined.”
Given this new reality, the nonprofit is urgently recruiting skilled volunteers to support the response and recovery efforts. We ask our volunteers to take home bags of clothes, wash them, and return them once dried. “All the new men’s clothes are going to need to be washed,” Wilson added. She emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “It’s quite bad at the moment. We’re just trying to work out exactly what we can do, what’s wet, what’s saveable and trying to just sweep all the water out.”
The nonprofit took to Facebook and Twitter to keep their fans informed. They provided important perspective about the flooding event and its effects. Wilson emphasized the immediate challenge of needing to replace a majority of that wardrobe in less than three weeks’ time. He urged donors to withhold their donations until the dust settles on the crisis.
“We will need to replace much clothing in a couple of weeks, please hold onto donations until we can dry things out and stop the flooding.” – The charity
“To Wilson and her team, this flooding is an unexpected financial hit. “We’re really hoping some kind donors will as well come on and support us and help us get past this cause it’s an unexpected cost for a small charity,” she stated.
As The Lantern continues to steer through this rough stretch, they say they’re optimistic the community will continue to respond and help them get back on track. The organization is seeking to recover from this blow and continue their vital work connecting people in need with the services they depend on.
