DETROIT (WXYZ) — In the middle of summer, a Detroit nonprofit is already worried about winter — and whether it will have enough gloves to help the thousands of people who depend on it.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report:
A burst pipe flooded the basement office of Mittens for Detroit inside the First National Building last Friday, destroying thousands of gloves and mittens the organization had spent months collecting.
Wendy Shephard, the nonprofit's executive director, has been the lone employee for 14 years, relying heavily on volunteer support.
"The scale of this is enormous, because we have had to throw out thousands and thousands of pairs of gloves," Shephard said.
Shephard describes the organization's mission as giving the gift of warmth to Metro Detroiters — young and old — funded through donations and grants. The problem now is that the flood-damaged gloves and mittens, leftovers from last season, can no longer be distributed.
"Our charter is that we only give new and unused gloves," Shephard said.
The space where the one-woman operation runs is now drying out, but time is short. The damaged gloves cannot remain in the hallway where mildew and mold could spread, and there is currently nowhere else for them to go.
"It's sad, because it's wasteful," Shephard said.
When Shephard shared the news with her Facebook followers, the response was immediate. Volunteers showed up to help sort through what could be saved.
"It's amazing — out of the goodness of their heart, they're spending time here doing work that… who would want to do it?" Shephard said.
One room has been filled with gloves volunteers were able to rescue — but it represents only a fraction of what was lost.
Some followers have asked why the damaged gloves cannot simply be washed and reused.
"People are writing, why can't you just wash them?" Shephard said.
Shephard says the organization's charter prohibiting used gloves, the sheer volume of items that would need to be laundered, and the pace of the recovery effort make that option impossible.
"It's heartbreaking and I'm so sorry," Shephard said.
The flood has also affected the people and organizations that rely on Mittens for Detroit. Chris Wilinski, an elementary school teacher in Hamtramck, says Shephard's work has put mittens in the hands of thousands of students across his school district.
"It started off with helping my classroom — to helping my school — to now the whole district," Wilinski said.
Wilinski was among those who showed up to help after hearing about the flood.
"Because she's always been there for us, I thought I had to represent and be here for her," Wilinski said.
"The community helps us so much, which is why we've survived so far," Shephard said.
After receiving a $1,000 donation, Shephard launched a fundraising campaign to replace what was lost. The campaign was modeled after an 11-year-old's idea to help save the organization's mascot, Mitty, and his mittens. Still, the question of how to rebuild keeps Shephard up at night.
"And I'm dehydrated from crying so much," Shephard said.
She says her mother's advice is what keeps her moving forward.
"She would say ... out of the worst things come the best stories," Shephard said.
While donations of gloves might seem like the obvious way to help, Mittens for Detroit's office will remain closed for repairs until August, leaving no place to store physical donations. Shephard is asking supporters to make monetary donations so she can order new gloves and prepare to meet the needs of the organizations she works with ahead of winter.
If you'd like to donate to Mittens for Detroit, click here.
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