Warsaw resident and post office worker Tim Morton is putting together a supplies drive for tornado victims in Ohio and plans on taking the supplies to Ohio on Good Friday.
The Indian Lake region in Ohio, where Morton grew up, is the area that “pretty much got ripped up,” he said. His wife, Susan, is originally from Nappanee and he and Susan moved from the Indian Lake area to Warsaw.
“So I decided instead of donating to the United Way or something, I decided it would be better if I did some kind of drive because people, they need more than - they still need money - but they need more, they need donations of things they’re (going to use) to clean up,” he said.
People can drop off items at the Warsaw Post Office, 365 W. Market St., Warsaw, or at Loyal Order of Moose, 1815 W. Lake St., Warsaw, through Thursday. Morton said he will take the items to Ohio on Good Friday.
He said there’s several drop sites, but he said he will probably call the Indian Lake Post Office or the Loyal Order of Moose in Lakeview, Ohio, to see if they’re drop sites for supplies. If they’re not, Morton said he knows enough people in the area where he knows he’ll get the supplies to the right area. He hopes the roads will be open at the time he goes to drop off the supplies “because right now, they still have all the roads closed in and out of town.”
Some of the items Morton said are in need include heavy duty trash bags, work gloves, heavy duty extension cords, duct tape, gas cans and anything that can be used to be cleaned up the site.
“They’ve already got plenty of diapers and that kind of stuff, so they need stuff they’re going to use (for cleanup),” he said, noting one thing he has heard is needed is bag chairs so people can sit out in front of their property and guard it.
Morton said he may even go as far as take a dump trailer down to the area on Good Friday and help clean up because “it’s a mess.”
The National Guard has been called in and people have lost cars and homes, he said.
“So that was my goal. Because I’m from that town and I work in this town. A lot of people know who I am,” he said, noting he didn’t want to use his job as a platform. “It’s a good way to help, cause some times you got a disaster in say Florida and you’re so far away, you can’t help. But this is three hours away and it’s in the town I grew up and in and lived in. And I moved from there to come to (Warsaw). And that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing.”