A determined team of up to 40 volunteers have helped provide beds for the evening, clothing and welcome hot food for the past three nights at Greystone Community Centre, near to Warwick Road which was the worst hit in Carlisle.
The centre in Close Street has acted as invaluable shelter in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, with a peak of 30 people sleeping overnight.
On Monday night that figure was reduced to 18 but many of them were spending their third straight evening at the makeshift reception centre.
Centre manager Gareth Weber, 42, initially put up a Facebook message on Saturday night asking for donations of bread to provide a bite to eat for those forced out of their homes.
The response mushroomed with donations of clothing, toys and bedding now stacked up in the centre.
He said: “We were absolutely inundated with clothing, children were bringing in their toys … and this is in an area which is not the richest.
“The community spirit has been absolutely fantastic from start to finish.”
Companies have also helped out as a catering van supplied by Electricity North West arrived outside the centre at 7am today, while supermarket firm Lidl is to bring a van from York full of Wellington boots.
Mr Weber, who has been at the centre for 17 years, said they had learned from the experience of 2005, when Carlisle was previously flooded.
He said: “The first two people we had through our doors we recognised from 10 years ago. It’s just that Dunkirk spirit, we have done it once, we can do it again.
“We have been more organised this time. We knew what people were going to need.”
The recovery operation continued as Mr Weber explained he was awaiting a delivery of mops and cleaning materials to distribute to those in need.
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