“Heroes and Hand Raisers” is a new series created by United Way of Midland County in partnership with Midland Daily News. Each week, snapshots of volunteerism and human generosity—via quotes, photos, snippets and stories—will shine a spotlight on those who are impacting our community by raising their hand to help meet the needs of their neighbors.
Pulling Weight
“Heroes and Hand Raisers” is a new series created by United Way of Midland County in partnership with Midland Daily News. Each week, snapshots of volunteerism and human generosity—via quotes, photos, snippets and stories—will shine a spotlight on those who are impacting our community by raising their hand to help meet the needs of their neighbors.
There’s no place like home—whether it’s a house address, or company headquarters. Midland is home to Dow, who is proud to have such deep roots in our community.
When the flood impacted Midland County, Dow was one of the first to step in and step up to offer support and resources.
Two key pieces make up a home: the people and the things. Due to flood damage, people lost many things—and things aren’t just “things” in homes. Items that line our shelves or sit on our nightstands or hang on our walls often serve as symbols. Memories. Heirlooms.
As the water flooded basements, bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms, it took many things with it. It soaked into the carpet and seeped into the furniture. It damaged drywall. Encouraged mold. Buckled floors. Washed away memories.
The flood wreaked havoc on homes, drying up and leaving $100,000 in residential damages behind. Nearly 2,500 households across Midland County were impacted.
To undo damage, you often have to remove the things that were damaged—which is a tedious process. One part headache, one part heartbreak. It can feel overwhelming and emotional. Organizing logistics and manpower can feel exhausting.
That’s where Dow stepped in. What could be taxing alone they accomplished together in order to help our neighbors.
There is strength in numbers.
Along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail in Sanford, 67 Dow volunteers—along with 11 dump truck and equipment drivers—hauled debris to the Midland landfill.
The team removed over 98,535 pounds of building material, plastic waste, tires, and household goods. They also helped reunite those impacted by the flood with mementos that were able to be salvaged from the area. Thanks to Team Dow, special items that people thought were lost…were actually found and returned. All memories were not lost, and that value is immeasurable.
The hefty job required numerous trailer load trips and tire recycling…and that number doesn’t even include the 16 Republic Waste bins that will be sanitized and reclaimed, nor the magnitude of chemicals and oils that will not be leached into the environment. Dow group leaders, volunteers, and partners (including The Society of Women Engineers, Meridian Public Schools, Village of Sanford, and Midland County Parks) collaborated together to make this a safe and effective employee and community effort.
There is strength in numbers, indeed.
