BROOKFIELD — After last week’s historic flooding, dozens of volunteers in bright orange shirts are fanning out across southeast Wisconsin to help families clear out damaged homes.
The relief effort is led by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers to respond to natural disasters.
Their base of operations is Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, where crews are dispatched daily to the neighborhoods hardest hit by floodwaters.
On Tuesday, volunteers worked in a Wauwatosa basement, hauling out waterlogged belongings, power washing, and vacuuming away damage.
Watch: Daughter grateful as volunteers clean up parents’ home
For homeowners like Larry and Pat, both in their 80s, the help has been a lifeline.
“My 85- and 88-year-old parents [were] wading through the water to get to higher ground,” said their daughter, Lisa French.
“Stuff is overwhelming. Stuff can be really bad. People can be really good.”
French said the team’s assistance made it possible for her parents to stay in their home that night.
“Just a bunch of angels walking through our lives this week,” she said through tears. “Words can’t express how appreciative I am.”
Samaritan’s Purse program manager Jaime Keoshian said the group had more than 175 open work orders by midweek.
“We call it the orange army of volunteers, or some might say angels in orange,” Keoshian said. “They are the boots on the ground, trying to help these homeowners get stuff out.”
The organization provides its services free of charge, supplying tools and coordinating volunteer labor. Some of those helping have traveled from outside Wisconsin to assist.
“We will be here as long as there’s work to do,” Keoshian said.
For French, the impact goes beyond drywall and debris.
“The fact these are volunteers giving up time for my family—it’s amazing,” she said.
Residents in need of cleanup help can call 833-747-1234, ext. 3.
Those interested in volunteering can sign up at spvolunteer.org.
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