Tornado Recovery Updates

As the initial response winds down, Habitat is stepping into a larger role to help fill a gap in our community. We’re connecting residents who still need help with volunteers, skills, equipment, and resources across the Fox Cities, while working alongside other organizations to meet the growing needs. 

A critical part of this response is 211, which connects those impacted with community resources and helps support FEMA assistance and other relief efforts. Housing-related needs are being directed to Fox Cities Habitat, allowing us to deploy volunteers where help is needed. 

With our coordination, volunteer groups are helping clear debris, trim damaged branches, make properties safer, and connect with homeowners to identify additional needs. Together, we’re helping our neighbors take the next steps toward recovery, one block at a time. 

We are extremely grateful to groups from Oshkosh Corp., Faith Technologies, AmeriCorps from Green Bay, Menasha Corporation, Gulfstream, and more, for volunteering this week. We plan to have even more groups next week, and we are so grateful for the support of many. 

Please continue to visit this page or reach out to Kayla at kaylak@foxcitieshabitat.org or call (920) 544-7856 for more information on how to get involved. We are currently seeking skilled trade volunteers. 

Our Appleton ReStore is also stepping up to help those affected. 

Through November 14, storm-impacted households in eligible areas can visit the ReStore and purchase select recovery items through our Pay What You’re Able program. Eligible items include windows, interior and exterior doors, cabinets, toilets and sinks, furniture, bed frames, hand tools, hardware, and other essentials that can help make a home safe and functional again. Residents simply need to provide a valid ID showing proof of residence in an approved storm-impacted area. No proof of damage is required. 

ReStore Rebuild also gives our community a way to directly support local recovery. We are seeking donations of: 

• Brand-new building and repair materials including lumber, plywood, drywall, roofing, siding, insulation, weatherproofing materials, and more 

• Brand new safety supplies including work gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, trash bags, N95 or dust mask 

• New or lightly used cleanup tools such as rakes, shovels or wheelbarrows 

Material donations are accepted by appointment so our team can coordinate storage and safely receive larger items, with pickup available for some qualifying donations.  

To schedule a donation, contact the Appleton ReStore at macip@foxcitieshabitat.org or call 920-830-8400

In the first days after the tornado, our role was to support the organizations already leading the immediate response; not to duplicate their work. Disaster cleanup is not traditionally Habitat’s core focus, but we knew we had people, equipment, construction knowledge, and volunteer-management experience that could help. So, we stepped in alongside Volunteer Fox Cities, United Way Fox Cities, municipalities, and other partners to help stabilize homes, support cleanup efforts, and begin identifying the housing needs that would remain after the immediate emergency had passed. 

Our team showed incredible support for one another, our volunteers, Habitat program participants, and the community by helping clear debris and fallen trees. Our Family Services team reached out to Habitat Homebuyers and Home Repair families in affected areas to assess their needs, while our Construction team stepped in to address urgent relief needs. Our Construction and Home Repair teams also quickly checked every active build site and home in progress for damage. Thankfully, no significant damage was reported, aside from our main office, which lost the back half of its roof.

Office Repairs

The roof was quickly boarded up, and repairs are underway. With Wi-Fi and electricity restored, a structural engineer deemed the building safe, and demolition of the affected areas has been completed. We are excited to welcome our staff back to the office on August 10!

We’re extremely grateful to the community partners, emergency responders, volunteers, neighbors, local businesses, and many others for supporting one another through this devastation. We are so honored to be a part of this supportive, strong community.