A broken water line has shuttered the Pregnancy Resource Center of Southeast Kansas for the next few days, at least.
The broken line was discovered Tuesday morning as PRC staffers arrived at their offices at 1 S. Jefferson Ave.
A malfunctioning heater, coupled with temperatures that dipped below zero caused the water line to freeze, then fracture in three locations. The water line, which ran above the ceiling, caused water to cascade down walls and onto the floor.
The damage was most extensive in the PRC office, in which a bookshelf filled with educational materials was exposed to the water. Several interior walls covered with drywall also will need major repairs, as will the center’s only restroom, noted Steve French, PRC Board of Directors president.
“And that’s not even counting all of the insulation across the ceiling that needs to be replaced,” French said. “It’s pretty much devastating to us right now.”
French also is a local contractor who will oversee the repairs.
Problem is, the repairs cannot begin for the next few days, until crews are certain the excess water has been removed.
“We can’t ask any staffers to work here without a functioning restroom,” French said.
A number of volunteers have been on hand since Tuesday to help remove the damaged drywall sections, pull the waterlogged insulation, sort through damaged materials to see what can be salvaged and assist with general cleanup.
“Unfortunately, this is the worst time of year for this to happen,” French said, noting young mothers rely upon PRC for a number of services, including supplies of diapers, formula and other goods.
THE PRC also offers up family support services and a maternity boutique, free pregnancy testing and prenatal support, as well as provides adoption resources.
“But it’s more than just a handout,” French noted.
Parents obtain diapers, bottles, formula, clothes and anything they else they need by working to earn “mommy/daddy bucks” to spend at the PRC. Those bucks are earned through a variety of means, such as completing parenting classes.
“It truly is ‘learn to earn,’” French said.
WHILE the building is insured, French is uncertain whether the coverage is sufficient to pay for the building’s contents, particularly the educational materials.
As a non-profit organization, “we operate on a shoestring budget as it is, and we also have a deductible we’ll have to account for,” he said.
French is seeking help from the community through a variety of means.
“If there’s a contractor who has some extra Sheetrock or mud or screws, anything like that, I’m sure we could use it,” he said.
Other needed supplies include insulation, ceiling materials or cleaning supplies.
In addition, French is asking for volunteers to assist with the repair work, which likely will start shortly after Christmas.
“People walk in and see we’ve gotten the floors cleaned, and it doesn’t look that bad,” French said. “But they don’t see the insulation inside the walls we still need to get rid of. It’s going to be hard work.”
OVERSEEING the repairs will be French, a former Iola city councilman who in recent months has been handling renovations to a house at the intersection of Madison and Colborn streets.
“We had just shut down that project for the winter, and I was wondering what I was going to be doing to keep busy,” French said half-heartedly. “Now, I know.”
To volunteer as a helper, donate materials (or cash) or assist in other ways, contact the Pregnancy Resource Center via its Facebook page, or by calling Michaela French — Steve French’s daughter and one of the volunteers — at (620) 363-4618.
Because PRC is certified as a non-profit, all donations are tax-deductible.
