Donations after tornado in Winchester called humbling

Donations after tornado in Winchester called humbling

WINCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) — Donations by the carload on Tuesday continued to be dropped off, sorted, and put in aisles for people recovering from Thursday’s tornado that ripped through the area.

Sammi Compton is one of the people who brought in supplies Tuesday. “I want to make sure they’re all taken care of and have what they need.”

“It’s the small town being taken care of by those around them,” Compton said.

Tables full of clothes, food, diapers and everything anyone can think of are piled up and ready for people to essentially come shopping for what they need to survive.

John Brutchen, a Republican on the Winchester City Council and a volunteer at the relief center, called the staggering response humbling. “The outpouring of not just our community of us taking care of each other, but like everywhere, all the surrounding areas. We’re talking northwest Ohio, northeast Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky.”

As many donations has they’ve gotten, they’ve also given out nearly as much. “As soon as we restock, it it’s gone,” Brutchen said.

Volunteers work at the Indiana Moose Lodge from 9 in the morning to 9 at night. For the volunteers and the people bringing supplies to help, the response shows what Randolph county is all about.

Volunteer Pat Neville said, “There are a lot of great people out there, young, old, it doesn’t matter. When there’s a need there’s a need. I was always taught you help when you can and if you can’t, it’s OK.”

Volunteers tell I-Team 8 they’re still accepting all kinds of donations because their work isn’t over.
They anticipate this pop-up supply store will be open for at least a month.