Red Cross, volunteers provide food, water

Hancock County Chapter of the American Red Cross volunteers Sharon Newman (left) and Peggy Rockhold serve chili in Pontoosuc to Tom Maynard and his grandson, Matt McDowell.

The Hancock County Chapter of the American Red Cross had supplied about 4,000 meals and well over 8,000 bottles of water and sports drinks to volunteers and workers along the Mississippi River as of Tuesday (yesterday).

The group's effort was led by volunteers in each community in Hancock County to coordinate food delivery to sandbaggers and other volunteers fighting to protect towns along the Mississippi River.

Like others, the Red Cross learned from its experiences in the flood of 1993. One of those lessons was to put together a new food distribution system.

“We prepared the food and served it on site (in 1993),” said Hancock County executive director Betty Redenius. “It was tough to do over that long of a haul.”

This time, the solution was to have the West Central Area Agency on Aging in Quincy prepare food when the flood work began. Drivers brought the food north to Hancock County. Food was distributed in Warsaw. Food was delivered to the Appanoose Church, where volunteer drivers from Niota, Pontoosuc and Dallas City loaded vehicles with food and bottled water and drove it to their respective communities.

The West Central Area Agency on Aging had to stop food preparation to devote their time to helping senior citizens affected by the flood. The National Red Cross organization brought in emergency response vehicles (ERV) and the Southern Baptist Kitchens, a group of volunteers who use a cooking station in a semitrailer to prepare up to 10,000 meals per 12-hour shift. Each shift is composed of six people. The trailer was set up in Quincy on Thursday, June 19. The ERVs were used to transport food to individual communities.

Other groups helped the Red Cross feed volunteers. The Salvation Army fed people in Warsaw and fed inmates from the Department of Corrections at Niota, who were filling sandbags. Area churches, including women's groups from LaHarpe and Nauvoo, prepared food.

Bottles of water were donated by area businesses that reached into McDonough County and Lee County in Iowa. The Red Cross also bought some bottled water.

Redenius said her contact people in each community kept her informed of what was going on.

“They tell me what's going on and what they need,” said Redenius. “It's worked very well. We're very thankful for all the wonderful volunteers we have.”

Peggy Rockhold and Sharon Newman were the contact people for Pontoosuc. Rockhold began helping at Dallas City before returning to the town where she was born when she saw a greater need. Pontoosuc was almost completely flooded. Water from wells was contaminated, making them dependent on bottled water.

“People here were grateful for anything,” she said. “They had more workers in Dallas City so I decided to stay and help here.”

Volunteers in Pontoosuc used boats to take food and water to people who could not leave their homes during the early stages of flooding.

Other contact people are: Gerry Weaver in Niota, Esther Newberry in Dallas City, and Pat and Faith Thompson in Warsaw.

The national projection for all relief efforts was at $15 million late last week for all services provided. About 33,000 meals have been served in Hancock, Adams and Pike counties. The national organization is borrowing money to pay for relief efforts since its funds are at or near zero.

The Hancock County chapter is $6,000 in the red so far.

Anyone wishing to donate money can drop it off or send it to the chapter's office at 71 S. Adams St., Carthage, IL 62321. Money for the local chapter needs to have checks made payable to the Hancock County Red Cross. Anyone wishing to donate to the national organization should make checks payable to the American Red Cross Disaster Fund.