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Milwaukee churches offer disaster relief assistance
Milwaukee churches are stepping up to help families still cleaning up from last week’s historic flooding.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee churches are stepping up to help families still cleaning up from last week’s historic flooding.
It has been a week since record rainfall left parts of Milwaukee underwater, but for many families, recovery is far from over.
Local perspective:
On Saturday morning, cars lined up along 60th Street as Brentwood and Hampton Churches of Christ offered disaster relief assistance.
"I take care of my autistic brother, and we lost everything," said flood victim Alyssa Lichty.
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From boxes of food to fresh linens and clothing, the church says the most important items being distributed are cleaning supplies — vital for preventing mold in flood-damaged homes.
"We are a part of the community and when the community hurts, we hurt," said Hazel Miller, outreach coordinator at Brentwood Church of Christ. "The cleaning supplies is so we don’t want our babies, elderly people, disabled, sick. This water damage can bring about mold."
For many, the help is a lifeline.
What they're saying:
"Everything in my basement was totally destroyed. Mildew the mold smell started coming in immediately, I had to try to get a fan and get the water out so my kids and myself wouldn’t get sick," said flood victim Nickela Brown.
Despite their own losses, church leaders say their priority is the community.
"Serving the Lord that is what we’re here to do. My house got damage, I was able to get the water out. I’ll continue to clean up after I meet the needs of our people," Miller said.
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More than 200 people received supplies on Saturday morning.
"It gives me hope which is something I need to wake up every morning and walk out the door," Lichty added.
What you can do:
Brentwood Church of Christ will host its fifth annual Community Day next Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.