MUSKEGO, Wis. — Community members have transformed a local pub into the center of volunteer flood cleanup operations, helping dozens of Muskego residents recover from devastating water damage.
When Jessie Hieb and the owner of Pop's Pub put out a simple call on Facebook for volunteers and donations for cleaning supplies, they never expected the overwhelming response that followed. What began as a modest effort to help a few neighbors has grown into a coordinated community-wide relief operation.
"Come to Pop's Pub starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow. We will assign you to a team, and we will assign you to a house to go and help," Hieb said in his initial Facebook video.
The grassroots initiative has already helped clean more than a dozen homes damaged by floodwaters, with a waiting list of approximately two dozen more houses still needing assistance.
People like Sonya Janicki turned to Hieb when she didn't know where else to go for help. Janicki, a military veteran who has lived in Muskego her entire life. Her situation was particularly challenging because her mother and sister also experienced flood damage to their homes.
"Everybody got water, there was just so much," Janicki said.
After attempting to manage the cleanup alone for several days, Janicki realized she needed assistance. While stopping by Pop's Pub for food, Hieb handed her a flier about the volunteer effort, helping her understand she wasn't facing this challenge alone.
Watch: Muskego man organizes effort to clean up more than a dozen flooded homes
"The core values were always service before self. I was always serving everybody else before myself," Janicki said. "This is the first time I had to ask for help for myself."
Over the past two days, Hieb organized teams of volunteers, including members of the Muskego soccer team, to help clean out Janicki's basement.
"There are no words to express my gratitude for what you have done and what an awesome person you are," Janicki told Hieb before embracing him.
The volunteer organizers are planning a major push this weekend and welcome anyone interested in helping. Community members can show up at Pop's Pub at W180S7808 Pioneer Dr, Muskego, anytime during the weekend, even if they can only spare an hour of their time.
This story was reported 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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