BUTTE — A sharp eye from a passing motorist noticed water gushing from the front of the Butte Emergency Food Bank. It didn’t take long for them to realize the food bank was going through an emergency of its own.
“Thank God that we did that because we were closed on Monday, so it’s a good thing we caught it on Sunday because it could have been a real mess,” said food bank volunteer Bob Worley.
It was just before 7 p.m. the evening of Jan. 14 when food bank staff were informed of a water pipe break in the building just off Second Street. The office was closed at the time and was likely to remain closed on Monday due to it being Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Staff were glad they were notified of the leak that Sunday because water had already covered the front half of the building.
“But it was already to the warehouse, so if it had gone all night, it would have been through the whole building. So, yeah, it was pretty traumatic,” said food bank Director Lorraine Hamry.
Most of the water was contained to the front part of the building where the computers and office equipment are kept.
“Thanks to all the volunteers that work here we got all the furniture and everything moved, all the computers and everything taken apart, moved everything to our warehouse and we have our main area opened back up that people can get their food in,” said Hamry.
Repairs are being made to the front office and no food was damaged in the leak.
“We’re back in business and things are going pretty normal. People are getting their food, and that’s the important thing, that we can go ahead and take care of the clients,” said Worley.
