If not for the coordinated efforts of many agencies and individuals, the recent flood in Butler County would have left an even bigger mess behind.

Leslie Osche, executive director of the United Way of Butler County, said she called Frank Matis, director of the Butler County emergency services, the Sunday after the Sept. 17 rainstorm and told him lines of communication needed to be open throughout the county.

At 10 a.m. on Sept. 20 the leaders of some of the social services, including the Lighthouse Foundation, the YMCA, the Butler County Assistance Office, the Salvation Army, the Center for Community Resources, the United Way, American Red Cross and the emergency center, were in a room plotting relief efforts in the county.

“It turned out to be a good, cooperative system,” Osche said.

“We had all the heads together in one room.”

When issues were discussed, officials made telephone calls to start services working.

In two hours the group had secured the National Guard Armory on Route 68 as a center for donated items. They contacted Sprint and Armstrong, which donated telephones and computers to help the relief centers in some of the hardest hit areas such as Renfrew and Evans City.

Lighthouse volunteers staffed the telephones in Renfrew and teamed with the Salvation Army to convert the old elementary school in Renfrew into an emergency service center.“The school was really something to see,” Osche said. “When it was time for lunch and dinner, they ring the old school bell.”Osche said it was important for each of the centers to have at least one member of the Center for Community Resources who knew what resources are available to help flood victims.The United Way staff made a call to furniture merchants and Levin Furniture responded with a shipment last week of new furniture.Today at noon couches, chairs and other items donated by Roomful Express and the Furniture Gallery were to be given out at the armory to flood victims.“We have a waiting list of people who need new furniture,” Osche said. “We are trying to distribute it so that everyone gets at least something.”She cited numerous examples of people and businesses helping their wet and weary neighbors.Osche said an elderly lady didn’t want to leave her belongings in her home when she evacuated. Al Lane, Catholic Charities director, took a van to her house and personally moved her belongings into storage for her.

The United Way received a call from Harmony borough officials looking for ventilator masks donated by BASF in Callery.All the masks had accidentally been shipped to Crafton in Allegheny County. Greg Haughey of BASF located them, and had them delivered to Zelienople, Harmony and Evans City.The YMCA offered to open its doors to provide free showers and day care, and Friedman’s Supermarket “has been constantly providing free food,” she said.Individuals also got into the act. Osche said a woman in Renfrew with 12 children and six foster children was busy serving hot meals Friday night.The woman expressed concern because she was going away for the weekend and she was worried the people wouldn’t get fed.“I told her we had her covered,” Osche said. “It is amazing what was able to be accomplished. It was a neat thing to have all of those people at our disposal.”Osche said the Parent Teacher Organization at Connoquenessing Elementary School made sandwiches and cooked dinners and the Renfrew PTO has served lunches.Sometimes volunteers have had to use creative thinking to help flood victims.One example, she said, was an older man who lost everything in the flood, even his wallet with all his identification.Because a person needs identification to open a case file for assistance, this man could not seek that aid.Osche said she worked with the 911 center and the state police to recreate the man’s driver’s license for identification, which got his paperwork under way.Osche said several companies in Butler have donated money for the relief effort, including $4,000 from BASF.Osche said it continues to be important for representatives of the United Way, Red Cross and other agencies to sit down together and see where gaps are in aid as people wait for money and inspectors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to arrive.She said it is important for victims to remain flexible as everyone waits for FEMA to catch up with the other agencies.At last count, FEMA had 436 cases open in Butler County, and Osche said that number doesn’t reflect perhaps another 200 people who haven’t filed yet.And people still will need help later such as during the holiday season when it is time to replace the Christmas decorations they lost in the flood.Osche said the three relief centers will probably remain open for another two or three weeks. They are at the old elementary school in Renfrew, the Grace Church of Harmony at 538 Main St. and the Evans City Fire Hall on Jackson Street.The United Way still is seeking donations of cash, linens, furniture and appliances. Contact it at 724-285-2260 or 800-944-1449.