NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A local nonprofit known for helping so many people in southern Indiana now finds themselves frozen in place.
'Hope Southern Indiana' is closed after a pipe burst on Christmas day.
When Executive Director Angela Graf got an alert from Hope's alarm system, she had no clue what she was stepping into Sunday.
"So, it's coming out of my office too?" she said of the situation at the nonprofit.
She said when she got the alert they thought it was a false alarm.
"We didn't think anything of it. So when we pulled into the parking lot, the police were here and there was water rolling from our front door," she said.
From a pipe bursting at seven different points, Graf says the ceiling collapsed, flooding the entire building.
"I was shocked," she said. "I'm just hurt that we're unable to serve the community."
On top of losing food, the nonprofit is left with damaged furniture and resources.
'Hope' is not the only nonprofit in New Albany impacted by flooding.
Britt West with Pro4mance says more than 20 businesses and 70 homes in the city have busted pipes.
He says he didn't expect to get so many calls before Wednesday.
"Normally they'll freeze when the temperatures get extreme but they wait to bust until it thaws, which is today, so this is rare," West said of his busy day.
As for Hope Southern Indiana, West expects the floors will be fully dry by Friday. Then he can start on repairs.
Graf says the organization will remain closed until then.
Graf said many within the community "reached out and asked what can we do, how can we help."
"I know it's bad, and it looks bad and there's a lot of work to be done but we're just grateful the community is willing to give back," she said. "We just feel really blessed."
If you would like to donate to their efforts, you can click this link.
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