(Photo by Brett Dunlap) Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick with some bottled water that was donated during a drive this past week to collect essential supplies - paper towels, cleaning supplies and more - for residents in McDowell County after recent flooding.

VIENNA — Community spirit and generosity thrive within Vienna city limits in response to recent devastating floods in McDowell County as the city launched a donation drive to collect essential supplies for affected residents.

During the past week the city has been taking donations of needed cleaning supplies to be sent down to McDowell County. The initiative, led by Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick, was announced via a video on the city’s Facebook page.

“We, as a community, are coming together to help provide various items they need in their recovery and cleanup of their homes and businesses,” Emrick said in the video.

The collection drive, which originally ran from Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., was extended to 2 p.m. Saturday due to inclement weather. All of the donations were brought to the Vienna Police Garage at 401 31st Street.

“The collections have been going very well,” Emick said on Saturday at the garage.

(Photo by Brett Dunlap) The City of Vienna coordinated a collection drive over the past week to gather bottled water and cleaning supplies to donate to residents in McDowell County to help clean up following recent flooding. They have received donations of paper towels, mops, brooms, shovels, gloves and cleaning supplies such as Clorox wipes, bleach, Pine-Sol and other items.

Community response has been overwhelmingly positive, with donations pouring in from Vienna residents and beyond. Many donors purchased items at local stores, such as the Piggly Wiggly, and left them for pickup. A particularly notable contribution came from Jackson Middle School, where eighth-grade students, led by teacher Cherish George, conducted a large-scale collection.

“We’ve received calls from people outside Vienna expressing their appreciation for what we’re doing,” Emrick said. “A woman from southside Parkersburg said, ‘I don’t live in Vienna…I just want to let you know how wonderful I think it is that the city itself is doing this.’

It’s just very supportive. It’s just been a good turnout, and I think it’s made the community feel like there’s some purpose, because we’re actually helping other communities.”

On Saturday they received a large donation of bottled water from area residents through the local Piggly Wiggly stores. They have also received donations of paper towels, mops, brooms, shovels, gloves and cleaning supplies, such as Clorox wipes, bleach, Pine-Sol and other items.

“Stuff is continuing to come in,” Emrick said. “We are very happy with the response. I know a lot of people in southern West Virginia will be ecstatic to get what we bring down. We want them to be able to clean while staying clean and healthy while they are doing it.”

(Photo Provided) Vienna Piggly Wiggly Management Adam Lewis and Katie Starcher loaded a pickup truck Saturday with bottled water the store was donating as part of a collection drive being done by the City of Vienna to help people in flooded areas of McDowell County.

A tally of items Saturday included 120 cases of bottled water; 80 gallons of bleach; 340 rolls of paper towels; 60 containers of disinfectant wipes; dozens of brooms, mops and shovels; and lots of other miscellaneous cleaning supplies, Emrick said adding that total did not include the items coming in from George’s class.

Emick, Vienna Police Chief Carl Powell and others are coordinating their schedules to get vehicles to load and take the donations down to McDowell County within the coming week.

“I am very happy with what I have seen our community do with this,” Emrick said. “This is the first time Vienna as a municipality has sponsored such a drive for a relief effort. I believe what we have seen thus far has been very inspiring to encourage us to do activities like this in the future if something else should come up.”

Emrick is hopeful that other events can be organized in the future when the need arises and that people locally will feel comfortable contributing to such events.

“We will continue to help out where we can and when we can,” he said. “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of the residents and businesses that have come out to support this effort. They have shown Vienna cares about their neighbors.”