Volunteers Speed Up Recovery At Flood-Damaged Loveland School
LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) - Volunteers from a national nonprofit group are giving a big boost to the cleanup efforts at a school in Loveland that was hit hard in last month's flooding.
Flood waters several feet high broke through the front door of Reflections for Youth School and it wound up filled with mud.
The school is located at 1000 South Lincoln just off Highway 287. Teachers and students are displaced indefinitely until the school's infrastructure can be rebuilt and crucial items that were lost during the flood can be replaced. The school has been struggling to come up with enough money to cover everything.
"All our possessions weren't covered by insurance at all. Our biggest losses were technologies, computers and then the irreplaceable stuff like records," said John Kinnaird, the school's executive director.
The students from Reflections have been gathering in home groups for their education since the flooding.
"Now that I see (the damage), it's just horrible. I don't know what to say," student Raymond Ortega said.
All Hands Volunteers is giving the school hope that it will be able to reopen its doors sooner rather than later. Without the nonprofit's assistance the cleanup effort could take months longer.
"It's been a labor of love. We've had crews in here for seven or eight days and we'll be here until it's done," All Hands volunteer Megan Scott told CBS4.
Organizers with All Hands Volunteers work to find businesses or communities that sometimes get left behind during disasters. Reflections for Youth School was picked as a priority.
The school's building, which also houses many other businesses, is considered one of the worst hit in Loveland. The high water marks from the flooding are still visible inside the school and the parking lot looks like waves of concrete ripped it apart.
During his tours of flood ravaged communities Gov. John Hickenlooper stopped by the school to check on their recovery process.
More volunteer help is still needed to help the school get going. They also are in need of donations such as drywall, carpet and computers.
"We need as many people willing to help to come help us to get our school back on track," Kinnaird said.
Additional Resources
Visit the school's website (link below) for more information about how you can help.
LINK: reflectionsforyouth.org | hands.org
The recent floods are impacting families and communities throughout Colorado, so CBS4 has compiled a list of ways you can support the local communities impacted by the floods.
