Uplifting our Communities Through Disaster Relief Efforts
Communities across the United States have been severely impacted by the onset of severe, unexpected natural disasters in the last few months. Despite the unprecedented adversities experienced by both Bolton & Menk’s Midwest and Southeast regions, we are proud of our employees and the tremendous surge of giving back to support our neighbors and colleagues.
Disaster Relief After Minnesota Floods
On June 20, an email began circulating Bolton & Menk’s Mankato and Sleepy Eye, Minnesota locations: Our local client community, Waterville, Minnesota, was flooding. Would any employees be willing to join the City of Waterville’s efforts and pack sandbags the following day?
The response was immediate. Municipal Project Engineer Joe Smith coordinated more than 30 employees into two shifts. While some employees checked the forecast, others grabbed orange safety vests to disperse or dug up extra rain pants for a friend to use.
The next day, a caravan of cars headed to Waterville. While the group wasn’t sure what conditions they would be entering, there was no mistaking the heavy rain.
“For most of the afternoon sandbagging shift in Waterville, we were working in the textbook definition of a downpour,” said Corporate Communication Coordinator Kendra Braunger. “It had already been raining for several days by that point, but there was not a single complaint about the weather conditions – everyone was there to help their neighbors. I remember tearing up a bit looking around at the group of volunteers outside with me filling and lifting sandbags in the pouring rain – this was the best example of the strong sense of community Southern Minnesota is known for. It was an incredibly powerful experience.”
The need was immediate. While some folks grabbed shovels and began working away at the pile of sand, others opened bags, brought them to a station to be filled, and tied them closed, before bringing them to a pallet and starting again. Other volunteers were running forklifts back and forth between sandbagging stations and city hall, while some helped deliver loose sand to be turned into sandbags.
“Partnering with my coworkers to help meet a community’s needs was rewarding in so many ways,” said Senior Graphic Designer Aaron Tish, reflecting on the experience. “I felt a connection and camaraderie with all Bolton & Menk employees who participated. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!”
As volunteers proudly watched piles of sandbags build up and be taken away to distribute among the long line of cars at city hall, it was clear that sandbagging alone wasn’t enough. Word had spread that while some households had acquired sandbags, they didn’t have the means to set them up and protect their properties.
Volunteers quickly dispersed to help a family on Tetonka Lake. The road before the house was flooded, but the group was relieved to see that the house was still out of water, despite the rapidly rising lake. Leaving their car behind, the volunteers waded through the water to access the house, laying out a total of six pallets of sandbags around the entire house. As the lake water continued to encroach, the small group turned to the neighboring house and used the remaining pallets to barricade their walls.
“The water probably rose another six inches while we there,” said Aviation Planner Justin Vossen. “I hope it worked and saved the house.”
In the following days, employees quickly saw that need wasn’t just limited to Waterville. Mankato was also flooding, particularly at the site of the iconic Happy Chef restaurant. More Bolton & Menk volunteers were glad to step up, donning safety vests, rain pants, and strong morale.
“We had an assembly line of people shoveling sand, tying the bags, and then moving them to the building,” reported Talent Sourcing Specialist Casey Erbs. “I felt it was important for me to volunteer because I wanted to give back to a community that has given so much to me already. Bolton & Menk encourages taking time to volunteer and give back to our communities, so it just made sense to help.”
When Municipal Project Engineer Matt Miller was asked about his decision to help, he responded: “In disasters like the one Waterville and Mankato experienced, you can never have too much help. We know they would show up to support us when we need it.”
Helping Iowa Recover from Flooding
Minnesota was not the only region to experience flooding. On the morning of June 22, Administrative Assistant Paige Thilges of Bolton & Menk’s Algona location was scrolling through social media when she saw the flooding in Spencer, Iowa had exceeded far beyond what anyone had initially envisioned. A family with a newborn baby were stranded on the roof of their own home, looking for a route to safety. After calling family and friends in the area and confirming their safety, Paige knew she had to do something.
“I came up with this idea to make a post on my personal Facebook page that I would be collecting supplies and items for donation for the Spencer flood victims,” Thilges reflected. Within minutes the post was reshared by multiple people and began gaining traction.
By 5:00 PM that night, Thilges’s 16-foot enclosed trailer was full of donations.
While many individuals would have rushed directly into Spencer, as a former volunteer EMT and firefighter with the Dickens Fire Department, Thilges knew the importance of having a plan.
“One of the first things you learn when entering emergency services is the importance of incident command and having one point of contact for all communication,” Thilges said. “Any emergency, especially ones to this magnitude are pure chaos, so anything you can do to eliminate more chaos and confusion is a must.”
Thilges reached out to Kossuth County Emergency Manager Charissa Mueller, who coordinated with local officials and arranged a plan on how to safely deliver the trailer of supplies to the Spencer community. On June 25, Thilges and her husband, Justin, were cleared to enter Spencer and finally gift the much-needed supplies they collected.
The first stop was the Spencer Distribution Center, where Thilges unloaded most of the trailer, which included much-needed clothes, blankets, bottled water, and food. The second, more unexpected stop was Spencer People for Pets.
“The staff and volunteers at People for Pets had been busy rescuing animals and reuniting some with their families since the flooding began and had a shelter full of cats,” Thilges indicated. Knowing the importance of animals in their local communities, Algona residents donated more than 30 bags of cat litter, cat food, and cat toys.
All Hands on Deck for Hurricane Helene Recovery
It is safe to say that Hurricane Helene took the Southeast by great surprise. As storms typically stay on the coast, the infrastructure inland was certainly not prepared for the hit it took. With several locations near the devastation and receiving a lot of damage in the aftermath, our employees felt called to serve.
“Through destroyed roads and shattered infrastructure, we were able to bring a glimmer of hope and essential life-saving supplies to the people of Western North Carolina,” said Survey Manager Ben Todd in our Conway Office, reflecting on his personal experience helping to deliver supplies to the most vulnerable. Ben knew of a group transporting large loads of desperately needed supplies directly to Western North Carolina. He immediately loaded three U-Hauls and seven trucks with supplies and traveled north to distribute the items. His team was able to work with a local helicopter pilot who was able to take the most essential needs such as insulin, EpiPens, food, water and gas, to hurricane victims in the mountains.
Our Myrtle Beach and Charlotte locations immediately started collecting essential supplies for neighbors in Western North Carolina. “With all the damage that impacted the WNC, it is important as a community to come together and provide whatever support we can,” said administrative Coordinator Susan Schivelbein. The office partnered with Camp North End for a larger supply drive. Our teams donated more than 100 items, such as canned foods, baby formula, pet food, diapers, hygiene products, cleaning products, and more.
Despite facing personal hardships such as fallen trees, power outages, flooding, and prolonged school closures, the team became aware of nearby marginalized communities that were even worse off. These groups had no access to transportation and had lost most of their food. They needed help. Many members of the Greenville office assembled over 100 hot boxed BBQ lunches and, with the assistance of local law enforcement, distributed them to the community members most in need. “We wanted to help however we could. Providing meals met a physical need and allowed us to connect with the communities that we serve. It was an honor to serve,” stated Municipal Graduate Engineer Josh Shealy.
The recent natural disasters have highlighted the incredible resilience and unity of the communities we serve. From sandbagging efforts in Waterville and Mankato, Minnesota, to delivering critical supplies in Spencer, Iowa, and Western North Carolina, our employees came together to support the communities we serve. We are proud to have supported such resilient communities, whose spirit of support highlights the impact we can make together.
