Before the historic flood, Alyssa Caballero’s 3-year-old son Joel would dart into the basement with his puppy to play with his toys for hours at a time.
Now, the Caballero’s family room looks unrecognizable. The black couch on which Joel and his dog Oaklay played has been tossed. Parts of the carpet have been ripped out, revealing asbestos tiles. A fan runs 24/7 to mitigate mold. Supplies for Joel’s first year of school were ruined, along with so much more.
“It was our little family room, but now we have to stay upstairs,” said Caballero, 36, who lives in Brown Deer. “My mom’s house flooded too, and she’s living with us. We’re all crammed in place.”
Against the backdrop of so much loss, Joel strummed a toy guitar surrounded by heaps of other toys at The Little Geese Shop in Wauwatosa on August 20. Nearby, a 4-year-old girl named Eva hugged a plastic dinosaur and a Frozen wand in her arms.
The shop has served as a community children’s boutique focused on second-hand, high-quality children’s clothing and gear in the heart of Wauwatosa Village at 7601 Harwood Ave.
People from all over have been donating items big and small to the shop, from children’s books to diapers and baby clothes, strollers and cribs to Pack ‘n Plays. Over the next few days, families can take what they please, whether it’s a direct replacement to something lost or an item that entertains and brings joy to kids and adults alike, said Little Geese Shop owner Danielle Scampini Linn.
“It’s not just ‘Oh, I lost my Pack ‘N Play so I’m going to find a new one.’ These things are here because you’ve been through something and the community wants to help you,” Scampini Linn said. “So yes, take the Pack ‘N Play but also stock up on some new books that will bring joy to your kids while you’re cleaning out the basement, or the next birthday party because that’s going to take things off your plate.”
As her mother Stephanie perused the rows of children’s books, Eva watched in astonishment as the Frozen wand lit up. “I’ve always wanted one of these!” she said, her eyes wide.
Stephanie, 42, said she was woken up at 2:30 a.m., on Aug. 9 by her neighbors, who knew she had a little one and wanted to make sure her family was safe. When she and her husband surveyed the basement, they learned to their horror that sewage water had been gushing from the drain, and already was up to their third basement step.
“We lost a lot of stuff,” said Stephanie, who was uncomfortable giving out her last name given the circumstances. “A lot of it was sentimental. I had traveled a lot throughout the world and collected lots of traditional dresses. There was my travel log, baby photos of my daughter. Not things you can replace.”
When Scampini Linn told Eva the dinosaur and the wand ― and anything else she wanted for that matter ― were free, Eva let out a squeal and hugged the dino close to her chest.
Not everyone at the shop was taking items for themselves. Mikaela Carvajal, 24, wanted to help out a friend from work whose family lost everything they’d been storing in the basement, including baby clothes. Her friend is pregnant with her second child, and had planned to dress the baby in hand-me-downs from her first baby.
As she rummaged through newborn and 3-to-6-month-old onesies, she was surprised how many items still had tags on them. She held up a Packers onesie, nodded with approval and put it in her shopping bag.
Items still needed: large play mats, luggage, dolls, toy monster trucks
Scampini Linn said she feels affirmed by the generosity of her community. But she also sees a bit too much Midwestern niceness when it comes to accepting things for free. There’s a tendency to minimize the scope of damage, Scampini Linn said. Often, people feel shy about taking too much.
“We all have this tendency to say, ‘But it was so much worse for someone else.’ And it’s like, yes, that may be true, but something terrible also happened to you,” Scampini Linn said. “We’re doing what we’re doing to bring you some joy. That’s why we’re here.”
Volunteers have been coming through in ways that continue to hearten Scampini Linn, like Kristi Knoedler, a Wauwatosa resident who heard about the shop’s community support efforts on social media. In her capacity as a volunteer, she’s been helping direct people to certain areas of the store to find the items they need.
When Knoedler overheard Caballero tell the news organization her son lost his school supplies, she was quick to point Caballero to the area specifically for school items.
“We were lucky to not have been impacted, so this is an easy way to give back,” Knoedler said.
Scampini Linn had been debating whether to extend the free community shop to Aug. 22, but by the time she opened on Aug. 20 and she assessed her Himalayan-like heaps of toys, books, and diapers, there was little option. In addition to the shop being open Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., it will also be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 22.
Asked about remaining needs, she said people have been looking for, and unable to find, larger play mats, luggage, dolls and toy monster trucks.
“I hope this can be a mindset shift for people affected. Take those other expenses off the table of things your kids are going to need over the next few months and put the funds toward what you need,” Scampini Linn said. “That’s what this is all about.”
Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her X (Twitter) profile at @natalie_eilbert.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Supplied to the brim with donations, Little Geese Shop opens for flood-impacted residents
Reporting by Natalie Eilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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