Dec 19, 2023 By Mark Hofmann 4 min read

Something caught Dana Krofcheck’s eye as she was looking over the boxes lined up on a conveyor belt containing packaged food that had to be thrown away because of water damage sustained at the Connellsville Area Community Ministries.

In with a box containing cereal, Jello mix, noodles and other items was a painter’s canvas that once displayed a work of art that had faded away to an off-white color.

“This means something to me,” said Krofcheck, executive director of the organization. “This is a blank canvas, like we’re a blank canvas now. I’m going to put this in my office.”

About 6 a.m. Saturday, Courtney Francis, crisis manager at Community Ministries, was alerted by Kroftcheck about a water main break at the agency’s Crawford Avenue location, which houses the thrift store, food pantry, crisis ministry and medical equipment.

Since Francis lives close by, she was able to get to the building in a matter of a few minutes to find about seven inches of water in the ministries’ basement as the water main had broken and was pouring out water since around 4 a.m.

“It sounded like somebody turned the bathtub (faucet) on,” Francis said.

After calling Krofcheck to brief her, she turned off the breaker for the walk-in freezer and did the only thing she could think of doing before help arrived, and that was using a shop vac to pump out the water. But there was too much water to have any impact.

New Haven Hose Company VFD arrived to pump out the water, and American Water shut off the water.

Francis said it took all day Saturday to clear the water out of the basement, which not only contained the walk-in freezer, but two large chest freezers and one regular household freezer, all used to store food for the food pantry.

The basement also housed medical supplies, inventory for the thrift store and decorations, to name a few.

“Almost everything is stored down there except furniture,” Francis said.

Francis added that they were able to fill a large commercial-sized dumpster within an hour and a half as well as a dump truck on Sunday, and, as of Monday, volunteers were continuing to dispose of items from the basement.

“I know that we lost a significant amount of food, and it’s a food pantry week,” Francis said.

Krofcheck said their major goal was getting whatever food they could salvage upstairs, and that the organization is still receiving daily food donations from Walmart, Martins, Cash Saver and Sheetz.

“We’ll continue that and keep it up here in coolers and hand it out to the public,” Krofcheck said. “We lost quite a bit of food, but I have no doubt the public will help restock our supply. They’re phenomenal.”

Krofcheck added that 30 people walked through the ministries’ door for the first time, asking what they could do to help.

“And we put them to work, and they never said ‘no’ or “I don’t want to do that job,'” Krofcheck said. “They walked out of here messy and wet, but you know what? They all had this joyous smile on their faces because they were helping serve, and they knew what we do as a ministry is not just in these walls.”

Francis said one female volunteer told her the ministries had helped her out so many times, it was only right that she come to lend a hand.

“To be able to give back gives a person a sense of pride,” Krofcheck said. “You don’t need money to give: you just need effort, kindness and love to want to do it.”

Krofcheck added that the Connellsville Walmart contacted her and is trying to push through a grant for the ministries as quickly as possible.

Krofcheck added that they are looking for all kinds of food as well as monetary donations.

Those interested can visit their location at 110 W. Crawford Ave. in Connellsville or make a donation online at www.connmin.org/. The ministries’ mailing address is P.O. Box 777, Connellsville, Pa., 15425.

Krofcheck said the restoration company, Disaster Restoration Services, predicted it will likely be months until the basement will be ready for use again, but she said it won’t disrupt their mission to give and serve.

“We are going to come back better than before and be able to serve more than we ever did,” Krofcheck said. “It’s a hiccup, but one we can maneuver through.”