Free access: Donations and distributions continue at Black River Coliseum

The Butler County Emergency Management Agency began collecting donations for tornado victims on March 15, as soon as the shelters opened. The Black River Coliseum became a hub for donation and distribution and EMA director’s assistant Maddy Winters explained the goal is to serve as many Butler County residents as possible.

"We started distribution on Tuesday, and then we will be here doing collection and distribution Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.,” she said.

“We typically ask for a form of ID. But realistically, we know that people have lost everything in this and they may not have a form of ID to show us,” she added. “As long as they’re a Butler County resident and they were affected by the storm, we want to we want to help them in some way.”

Volunteer Angie Rideout estimated as of noon Thursday, between 20-30 people had showed up for donations.

“We have reached out to the local hotels and everything, and so we’ve been making deliveries to the families that have been displaced in a hotel,” she continued.

Butler County EMA is currently parceling out baby supplies, home goods, tarps, water, food, men’s and women’s hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. EMA Director Robbie Myers said the agency will keep accepting donations after this distribution ends, to be handed out at another distribution event next week.

Donors so far include individuals and businesses including Walmart and Nordyne, and Convoy of Hope.

Winters, who is also a teacher at Eugene Field Elementary School, has been “overwhelmed” by the community response. “It’s just been amazing to see our community members come together, and the way that our school district staff has stepped up, even in the middle of everything that our coworkers have going on at the Kindergarten Center.”

One of those coworkers was Rideout, who teaches at the Kindergarten Center and Eugene Field Elementary.

“I couldn’t be at home just not doing anything. I had to be able to help, and be out here to help everyone,” she said. She was also grateful for the opportunity it provided to check in on her students and their families as they arrived to give or receive donations.

One donation recipient was Anita Hupp of County Road 450 — the only neighborhood with a fatality in Friday night’s storms.

“I’m thankful for all the help we can get...It’s neighbors helping neighbors. It’s a wonderful thing, it just shows God is good,” she said.

Greg Gilberto, who pastors Northpoint Nazarene Church, agreed. He volunteered at the Coliseum on Thursday, and lending a listening ear and a cup of fresh coffee to anyone who needed it.

“What happened was not good. What’s happening is what makes it good So it’s not the crisis. It’s the opportunity to bless those are in the middle of the crisis,” he said.