30.10.2017
ToolBank USA, a non-profit which partners with other non-profits to facilitate rebuilding after disasters, has joined forces with Wilo USA to assist communities impacted by floods.
Wilo USA Supports ToolBank’s Flood Response in IL, TX & Beyond
Wilo USA, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, donated critically needed sump pumps to the Chicago Community ToolBank to equip organizations actively responding to late summer floods in Illinois and Wisconsin. Wilo donated an additional 100 dewatering pumps that were to be pre-positioned at the nine other ToolBank affiliates across the United States to support similar response efforts.
The timing of the donation could not have been better. The Houston Community ToolBank was recently on the ground with Wilo’s pumps in Aransas County, Texas where Hurricane Harvey’s destructive path was at its worst. “As plans were enacted to also respond to people affected by Hurricane Irma, Wilo’s pumps were once again on the scene with our team,” said Matt Walenciak, executive director of ToolBank Disaster Services.
“Wilo recognized the immediate need in Illinois, as well as the national impact their gift could make through network-wide support,” said Walenciak. “The ToolBank has a 25 year history of equipping volunteer organizations with the tools they need for service projects. While we had been focusing on disaster response and recovery, our network was lacking flood response specific tools and Wilo USA stepped up to fill the gap."
Not including 2017 disasters, the ToolBank has provided tools for 10 federally declared floods in the last four years, giving response groups greater ability to serve impacted areas more efficiently. During these responses, ToolBank equipped 33,000 volunteers with tools, and saved the impacted communities and organizations over $930,000.
About the ToolBank: ToolBank’s are local non-profit organizations affiliated with ToolBank USA that stewards a vast inventory of actual tools for use by charitable and service organizations to advance their missions, increase impact, and reduce costs. Through quick and reliable access to large quantities of high-quality tools, each ToolBank transforms volunteerism in its area. ToolBank Disaster Services started in January, 2014, and later that same year the Houston Community ToolBank was created. The Chicago Community ToolBank opened its doors in June, 2016.