MENASHA, Wis. — Donations are stacking up on the former campus of UW Oshkosh at Fox Cities, where literally tons of water bottles have been collected and are on their way to the other side of Menasha, where people need them most.
Volunteer Fox Cities is leading the effort to coordinate volunteers and supplies as the recovery begins.
Carolyn Desrosiers, with Volunteer Fox Cities, said the organization had already seen more than 100 people volunteer in just the first half of Tuesday, with several hundred more signed up for days to come — along with a healthy amount of donations.
"But then you realize, this is real. You see people you know that have been impacted, lost roofs, that have damage, it's just terrible," Desrosiers said.
Watch: Volunteer Fox Cities leads recovery effort in Menasha as donations and volunteers pour in
Despite the devastation, Desrosiers said the community response has given her hope.
"What gives me hope and inspiration is because of the work that we do I get to see all the people that want to help," Desrosiers said.
Victor Palacios, of Neenah, was among those who showed up to help, unloading more than a dozen cases of water to donate.
"It's devastating for sure, and even last night we were trying to see ways to help out. So far this is the only way we've found. I know they're not letting too many people in the city so, once we can, we're definitely going to be out there too," Palacios said.
Also on hand was a familiar face to those in southeast Wisconsin. Fire Wise BBQ, a food truck from West Allis, made the trip to Menasha Tuesday morning to hand out meals to those in need.
Alex Obradovich, with Fire Wise BBQ, said the decision to come was an easy one.
"I just think people need to help each other, especially when there's things like this that happen. I would hope somebody would do it for us down home if we had a similar situation. We had some flooding last year that was pretty bad in West Allis, so people tend to come together when it's needed, and that's what we're trying to do is help out," Obradovich said.
Desrosiers said the organization is still working on logistics for the rest of the week but will no doubt need continued help as the region recovers.
Those who want to volunteer are encouraged to follow Volunteer Fox Cities on social media for the most up-to-date information.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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