$20,000+ for flood disaster assistance flows into Carmel Rally for Relief

CARMEL, Ind. (WRTV) — Carmel residents donated more than $20,000 and 5,000 pounds of food Thursday evening at the Lucas Estate to help neighbors recover from recent flooding, the city’s Republican mayor said Friday afternoon.

The Rally for Relief collected $20,825 in cash, 20 pallets of cleaning and recovery supplies, and $225 in gift cards. Mayor Sue Finkam, the Carmel City Council, OneZone Chamber of Commerce, and the Lucas Oil family organized the drive-through event to support those whose homes were damaged during the storms.

Food and supply donations will directly support local families through the Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank and other community partners.

Finkam said the recent floods left 62 people with major damage to their homes, leaving them unable to live there full-time.

“We’re making sure that they have what they need when they come back and start to rebuild their home,” Finkam said.

Throughout the evening, community members dropped off non-perishable food and household items. Donor Margaret Baranowski said while the floods did not affect her personally, she wanted to show support for her neighbors.

“My heart goes out to those that were impacted,” Baranowski said. “This is a way for us to contribute and just demonstrate how much we care and support our community.”

Nick Countryman said it was “heartbreaking” to see flooding hit so close to home.

“You usually see things on TV or somewhere else, but seeing the floods here locally — when I saw the call for some help, (it’s a) small thing we could do to contribute to people who are hurting,” Countryman said.

Pamela Bollier lives less than a mile from the river. While the water did not reach her home, she said she felt a responsibility to help.

“We’re just blessed that it did not affect us, and we want to help those that need it,” Bollier said.

All food donations will go to the Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank for distribution. Suzanna Hobson, the food bank’s executive director, said she was grateful the community “made this happen” so quickly after the mayor reached out to her last week.

“The heart and generosity of Carmel shone bright yesterday,” Finkam said. “When our neighbors need support, this community steps up without hesitation. This drive was a success because of our shared commitment to serving others.”