Volunteers rolled up their sleeves this week to fill and deliver sandbags to county residents whose homes have undergone flooding.
Medtronic Sofamor Danek Manufacturing employees and World Compassion Network volunteers and staff in the Embarq parking lot Thursday filled sandbags.
Sand, shovels and sandbags will continue to be available this weekend for residents at the Embarq parking lot, 1401 W. Center St.
The entrance to Boggs Industrial Park closed Thursday night due to flooding. People who want to pick up sandbags at the Embarq parking lot should enter on Lake Street or Old 30 West and turn left onto Hepler Drive, and that will bring them to West Center Street.
WCN volunteers and staff have worked since Tuesday filling and delivering sandbags. The organization assists disaster victims and the poor.
Clark Shepherd, WCN disaster relief coordinator, said the organization is blessed to help.
"We used the experience of last year's floods to stay ahead of the game to prepare sandbags this year," Shepherd said.
Robert Pundt, WCN volunteer, said he isn't currently working and was glad to help fill and deliver sandbags.
"I am a painter and business is slow right now so I thought I should spend my time helping others," Pundt said.
The sandbags were loaded on the back of trucks at the Embarq parking lot and were taken to residents on Winona, Pike, and Barbee lakes.
Approximately 20 Medtronic employees took time off work Thursday without pay to fill the sandbags.Charles Collins, a metrology technician for Medtronic, worked with his co-workers filling sandbags at the Embarq parking lot.
"People stand to lose everything with flooding and it is important to help fill sandbags to help the community," Collins said.
Jeff Sanchez picked up sandbags at the Embarq site Thursday afternoon to put around his home on North Lake Street in Warsaw. Sanchez said there is a foot and a half of water on his property and five feet of water in his home's basement.
"I bought the home last year and we had flooding this year and last year in January and February," Sanchez said.
Warsaw Building Commissioner Todd Slabaugh advises county residents who evacuate their homes to shut off their main electric disconnects and gas appliances before evacuating.
He said he and other city and county officials will go around to homes today to access the flood damage.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins worked with WCN volunteers and staff Thursday morning to place sandbags at Center Lake to stop water.
"Flooding is worse this year at Pike Lake than when it flooded last year," Wiggins said.
Warsaw Street Department, 794 W. Center St., in Boggs Addition, also has made sandbags available to Warsaw residents since Monday. The sandbags will be available for Warsaw residents to pick up this weekend.
The street department's employees have delivered sandbags to Sunset, Country Club, Ireland and Miner Drives and in Springhill Addition.
Terri Stephens, Warsaw Street Department administrative assistant, said the department has delivered more than 11,000 sandbags as of Thursday afternoon to Warsaw residents.
Warsaw City Councilman Joe Thallemer and his son Bryan assisted volunteers at the Warsaw Street Department Wednesday night.
They delivered and placed sandbags by homes on Sunset Drive.
"It was gratifying to see people helping their neighbors sandbag despite high water," Thallemer said.
Sand, bags and shovels have been available since Tuesday night for Winona Lake residents at the Winona Lake Street Department on the south end of Chestnut Street.
Winona Lake Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said Winona Lake residents can come to the street department this weekend to fill sandbags and take them to their homes.
Allebach said the department had 1,000 sandbags and received another 900 sandbags Thursday afternoon.
Residents who cannot pick up sandbags at the Embarq parking lot due to health problems can call Ann Sweet, Embarq senior sales consultant, at 574-265-8225.
The North Webster Fire Department also has sandbags available for residents.
