MILAN, Mich. — It's been exactly a week since that big storm hit the city of Milan, Michigan, leaving it with downed trees and no power.
Some are still reeling from the damage and on Wednesday, we decided to check back in with a charity organization that had to leave its building following the storm.
Debbie Murphy, a volunteer, said Aid in Milan is still picking up the pieces after that storm.
"Saw the log through the van. And just saw, you could not even get through here at the time. It was just all roped off. And it was just crazy that it just happened to hit here so bad," said Murphy.
It's especially difficult because so many families in the area depend on the charity organization for food and personal items.
The damage left the building on West Main Street unsafe to work out of.
"There are so many people who need assistance. And we just want to make sure that they have the food that they need. With the power outages a lot of them ... they lost a lot of food in their refrigerators and freezers. So we didn't want people to go without food," said Gail Hullstrung, the program director for Aid in Milan.
During the pandemic, the organization saw a more than 300% increase in the need for food.
So the group quickly moved the Grab and Go Food Pantry over to the Milan Free Methodist Church.
"I was amazed at how quickly the community came together. You know when there's an emergency, it's just amazing how quickly people can come together to help," Murphy said.
Since we last spoke to Aid in Milan, the organization has raised about $12,000, but the need for help doesn't stop there.
"We need volunteers. That would be a huge help because ... with the summer being over, we're back to our main core community volunteers. We also are looking to work on getting a food pantry expansion," Hullstrung said.
And with growth, it means more families in the surrounding areas can also be fed.
"It's been rough and you know, now with this power outage on top of that I think people are just frustrated," Murphy said.
But Aid in Milan never wants anyone to go hungry.
This Saturday, the organization is teaming up with Big Red Closet in Milan.
They will be giving away free clothes for the school year, for any child who needs them.