Girardville delivers first round of donations to Gilberton
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Girardville Streets Crewman Mike Soucheck opens the tailgate of the streets truck, filled with donations for Gilberton flood victims.
GIRARDVILLE – Dozens of flood relief kits will go to flood victims in the borough of Gilberton, thanks to donors who backed Girardville’s donation drive, and it’s not even done yet.
Mayor Michael Zangari, Police Patrolman Denna Krammes, Streets Crewman Mike Soucheck, all from Girardville, accompanied by Zangari’s wife Tammy, and Debra and Jennifer Jackowiak, both of Gilberton, dropped off a literal dump truck full of supplies at the Continental Fire Co.
“We tried to take the items that we got and specifically direct them to people that can really use them now,” the mayor told the Sentinel. “There’s four [senior kits], two single kits, and 12 family kits.”
The kits, the mayor said, include rags, cleaning essentials, trash bags, work gloves, protective gloves, water, scrubbies, and bleach, all packed into heavy-duty tubs. Michael Zangari explained that the different kits contain more or less cleaning supplies, focusing on the expected needs of the intended demographic.
“What the thought process was, they can grab the kit, use it, and then when it’s done, they have these nice, heavy tubs that they can use for whatever they need,” Michael Zangari said.
The kits also included buckets from Lowe’s, mops, brooms, among others.
Also donated and dropped off at the firehouse were food and clothing donations.
The items filled the entire bed of Girardville’s Streets Department truck, overflowing into Zangari’s pickup and Girardville Police’s Ford Interceptor Utility, and more will hopefully come soon, as the drive runs for about another week.
Items such as cleaning supplies, bleach, mops, towels, masks, non-perishable food items, and more are being accepted at Girardville Borough Hall between 8am and 11am, and 12pm and 2pm Monday through Friday until July 2. Donations can also be dropped off outside business hours through arrangement with Michael Zangari at 570-276-1635.
In addition to Girardville’s donations, the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency is compiling a list of people who’ve lost furnaces, appliances, or other major items in their home, Michael Zangari said.
He said the county would assign a caseworker to help flood victims go for grants to help replace the lost items. He said flood victims could contact Girardville Borough Hall or Gilberton Borough Hall.
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